Brother Mine
by iwantboromir
Summary: Warrick has a visitor who threatens to turn his world upside down. Third in my WarrickGemma Trilogy. Chapter 24 is up now, that means were done! Hope you have enjoyed your ride.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: No, I still don't own the CSI's I own all the new characters. Although, Sean Arthur is played by the great Sean Bean (in my little mind) and I don't own him. **

**FeedBack: YES PLEASE! I keep seeing the numbers rise, so I know people are reading my stories, I just don't know if ya like it or not. Please, Please...,please review, good or bad!**

This picks up after "The Favor" & "When Trouble Comes Knocking" This starts off slow and is full of reflections. I've given Warrick enough scars in the last two fics, so I'll try not to abuse him as much this time around. (At least, not physically)

Now, on with the show.

Gemma Brown lay on the couch daydreaming about her husband. In the background was her latest gift from him, a cd of him playing the piano. She closed her eyes and let herself get lost in the music. The big tough man had the soul of a poet and he shared it with her openly. Warrick had put all his love and desires into this song and she felt a strong desire to be near him as she let the music flow over her.

She was so engrossed in her memories of her husband that she nearly didn't hear the doorbell ringing. Slowly, because that was the only speed she had lately, she sat up. As large as her stomach was, it was difficult for her to get up off the couch, so by the time she was on her feet, the bell was ringing again. "Hang on a minute!" She called out, waddling towards the door.

Gemma ran her palm over her stomach, wishing the child she carried in there would chose to make an appearance soon. Warrick hadn't been able to touch her in the past few weeks and she missed her husbands attentions. Warrick had the uncanny ability to make her shiver with the simple touch of his lips to her skin. He never failed to miss a sensitive spot.

Now that she was so far along in her pregnancy, they'd been banned from any such activity. Sure he kissed and held her, but it just wasn't the same. Gemma felt the baby kick against her palm and smiled as she got to the door. This baby was going to make it, unlike the one before that had been taken from them. Warrick swore that this one would be a girl, but she wanted a little green-eyed boy. Warrick insisted that since the baby kicked at him every time he touched her, it was going to be another female intent on being the boss of him.

Making sure the security door was locked, she opened the door a crack to see who was now firmly pounding on the door. The man standing there was no one she knew and it made her a little nervous. Pregnant and alone in the house, she knew she was defenseless.

"Hello?" The man on the porch peered at her through dark glasses. "Is this the house of Warrick Brown?"

Gemma heard the accent and was shocked. Not many Englishmen ran around Vegas. Sure there were some that had the fake accents, pretending to be British. This one was for real. "Yes."

"Is he here? I'd like to speak with him?" He leaned forward and Gemma felt a slight tremor of fear. This man could easily shove the door in, locks or no locks. He was just under six foot, about the same height of Nick. Not as muscular, but Gemma could see the strength in the man. She swallowed roughly, glad that Jessica wasn't at home.

Warrick had taken Jessica to spend the night with her beloved Grams on his way to work. Grams would take the little girl to Preschool in the morning. Warrick had arranged for Lucy Malone to pick Jess up from school and spend the rest of the day with Kelly and Lizzie Holcomb. Gemma was alone until Warrick came home in the morning. "He's not at home right now."

"Will he be back soon? I must really speak with him." The man seemed to be studying her through the glasses. "Are you his wife?"

"Yes, I'm Mrs. Brown." Gemma wondered what this man wanted and if he was a danger to her. Last year a man wanting to know if she was married to Warrick had attacked her. Warrick's job kept him in danger and it had put her in danger too. She suddenly wished she had taken up Gil's offer to teach her to shoot, but she didn't want to have something that dangerous in her control.

"Perhaps I could leave my number? And you can have Warrick Brown contact me when he gets home. Any hour would be fine with me. It is imperative that I speak with him." He pulled out a small tablet, scribbling frantically. He ripped the page out and offered it through the crack in the door. "My sincere apologies for disturbing you Ma'am"

Gemma took the proffered paper and watched the man as he went. No that he wasn't so close, and not a threat, she took the time to look him over. He was good looking. Sandy blonde hair with very nice features on the face. She wondered what his eyes looked like. As beautiful as her Warrick was, it was his eyes that won her over. Warrick wore his heart in his eyes, everyone who knew him knew this. Gemma thought she would have felt better if she could have seen the man's eyes.

Closing and relocking the door, she put the paper down on the entryway table. Glancing down at the paper, she read the name, Sean Arthur and a hotel room number. The name didn't sound familiar. Leaving it there, she went on with her day, forgetting about the man.

Gemma awoke as Warrick lifted the covers to slide into bed and curl up along her back. "Hmm." She turned, offering her mouth for his kiss. He eagerly obliged, kissing her passionately as he fit himself against her. "Where's Jess?"

"With Gil." Warrick nuzzled her neck. "Gwampa is taking the girls to see the El-da-fanks." Warrick mimicked his daughter playfully. "That is okay with you…right?"

"You guys are spoiling me, taking Jessica all the time." Gemma sighed reaching her hand back to caress a strong thigh. Warrick murmured his pleasure into her ear.

"Baby, you're gonna have this baby anytime now. We just want you rested. You don't have the energy to chase a precocious five year old around." He kissed the special spot below her ear, sending goosebumps up and down her spine. "But I don't like you staying here all day by yourself."

"A man came today. He was looking for you. He left his name and number for you. A Sean something……he said it was really important that he gets in touch with you." Gemma informed him.

"See….I don't like you alone for that reason." Warrick grumbled. "If you won't have a gun….what about a big dog?"

"I kept the security door closed, and he never got very close. He just seemed……eager to talk with you. He said for you to call at anytime." Gemma took his arm and wrapped it around her middle.

The baby thumped against the new pressure, causing Warrick to chuckle. "Feisty little chick. She's gonna give us a run for it, just like Jessica."

"He could." Gemma countered, still wanting a little boy with his father's green eyes.

"Naw, this one's a girl. Next time it'll be a boy." Warrick insisted quietly with a yawn. He snuggled down on the pillow, resting his forehead against her back.

"This man…..it really seemed like it was important for him to see you. Will you call him?"

"I'll take the number. I'll see if I can make time to call during lunch or something tomorrow." Warrick promised, his voice lowering as he settled in, about to drift off to sleep. Gemma sighed, reaching over to turn off the alarm. Without a little one to worry about, she was going to enjoy laying in bed with her sleeping husband for as long as her bladder would allow.

It was times like this that she missed. He was at work while she slept, he slept while she was up and about. If they didn't have Jessica, and soon the new baby, she would just adjust her sleeping schedule to his, but that wasn't possible with kids. She wouldn't ask him to change his shift. The nightshift crew was his family, and her family too. He wouldn't be the man he was without them and she couldn't ask him to be away from them.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Gemma had risen after her overactive bladder wouldn't let her stay in bed any longer. Warrick rolled over onto his back and was snoring softly as she made her way out of the bedroom quietly. She took a moment to watch him sleeping peacefully before leaving the room.

By the time his alarm went off, she had a big breakfast prepared for him. She had also packed him a double lunch, knowing that the single Greg Sanders would end up mooching most of his lunch anyway. As he stepped out of the shower, Gemma was waiting with a mug of coffee for him. Warrick accepted the mug and a kiss along with it.

They spent a quiet meal together, discussing the upcoming child and other pending events. As he left for work, Gemma walked him to the door, accepting his goodbye kiss with relish. She stood there watching as he got into his vehicle She hadn't closed the door after watching him drive off, when the phone was already ringing. It was Catherine. She had the day off and wanted to take Jess for the day.

Gemma had to laugh. "Cath, what did my husband bribe you with?"

"What do you mean by that?" Catherine questioned, never one to give any clue to what she was really thinking.

"First Lucy took her, then Gil…..and now you? Is Warrick bribing you all to take her so I can rest? He's always on me about how much I rest."

"No. This is what family does Gemma-girl." Catherine replied. "We help one another out. Now, if we were to listen to his bribes, we'd all be hanging out at your house. He doesn't like you being alone."

"I'm not due for another two weeks. Am I going to be without my daughter until then?" Gemma questioned. Catherine's only response was musical laughter, but Gemma couldn't be annoyed by her secretive nature. The older woman was an inspiration to Gemma. She was a wonderful mother, single and career woman; she seemed to have it all worked out. Her daughter, Lindsey, was a bright, likable kid, despite the tragedies that had befallen her while so young. In Gemma's opinion, it was all due to the wonderful mothering skills of Catherine Willows.

"So….is it okay if I keep Jessica?" Catherine asked. "If not, I can go pick her up and bring her to you. Maybe I can spend the day…..hovering over you?"

"That sounds like a threat Willows." Gemma laughed. "Where is she now anyway?"

"She's at the lab with Mia. Gil brought her in to work with him, planning to spend the evening with her. I guess they have a big case; he had to leave her at the lab. Mia doesn't mind, but she's not much of a kid person. Hodges and Judy are both out or they'd have claimed her. Doc offered to take her to the morgue, but that was definitely out."

"No, I don't want my child hanging out in the morgue! Alright, if you really want to take her," Gemma sighed. "But I would like to have her back sometime soon…"

"Fabulous! I promise, I'll return her while she's still five!" Catherine laughed, hanging up. Gemma chuckled, imagining Doc Robbins and David playing with Barbie in the morgue with her precocious daughter. She doubted the bodies would even bother her. Jessica was a bright and easy-going child; nothing seemed to get her down for long. She understood death. She understood what Daddy did at work and that bad things happened to people sometimes.

Wondering what to do to entertain herself for another evening all alone, she wondered upstairs to the baby's room. Warrick, Nick and Greg had painted the room a cheery yellow. Catherine and Hodges had stenciled pictures of cuddly animals along the walls. Warrick had filled the crib with pink bears and dolls. She smiled, seeing the dolls. They'd argued that the baby, if it were a girl, wouldn't be playing with dolls for a long time. Warrick, with his big emerald eyes pleading with her, had won. Now she removed the dolls, stacking them on a shelf out of the way. It was time to refresh all the linens.

Gemma had just taken the load out of the washer and into the dryer when the doorbell rang. Hurrying to the door as fast as her cumbersome body would let her; she checked the security door and opened it up.

The same sandy haired man stood there on the doorstep again. "Hello, Mrs. Brown. Is your husband home?"

"No, Mr. Arthur" Gemma frowned. "I'm afraid he's not. I gave him your information and he took it with him to work. Warrick said he'd try to contact you at his lunch time." Gemma noticed that he wasn't wearing his sunglasses this time. She looked into his green eyes and relaxed somewhat. He had kind eyes. There was nothing menacing in his eyes. Besides, she was partial to green eyes she thought.

"I'm really hoping to get in contact with him. I've traveled all the way from England to see him. Perhaps I should have contacted him before I came, but I'm very eager to see him in person." He truly did look sad as he stepped back off the porch. "Good day to you Ma'am."

"Bye. " Gemma watched him drive off; wondering what was so important that the man would travel across the ocean to see Warrick. What could a man in England have in common with her Vegas-based husband? Warrick had never been farther than Miami, he'd once told her. Closing the door, she shook her head, hoping Warrick would share the information about the man when he got home.

Gemma went back to preparing for the baby's arrival, even though there was still two weeks to go, she didn't have anything else to do and she felt the urge to stay busy. She glanced at the clock often, actually looking forward to having Catherine hovering over her. She was lonely.

Catherine came to drop off Jessica a couple hours later and sensing Gemma's loneliness, stayed until she had to get to work. Gemma busied herself feeding and bathing her tired daughter. Tucking her into bed, she was startled when the phone rang.

"Hey Baby, it's me." Warrick's husky voice greeted her as she answered the phone.

"You're not coming home, are you?" She declared sadly.

"It's doubtful." Warrick sounded upset. "Not unless we catch a break on this case. It's a big one. All hands on deck type of case."

"That man came by again." Gemma sighed, trying not to be upset. This was just part of his job. It wasn't something that he could change without changing who he was.

"Oh, geez, I haven't had time to call him. I'll try to call him in the morning. Just, don't be surprised if you don't wake up to find me there, Babe."

"I'll be fine. I've got Jess with me again." It was really difficult to not sound as sad and upset as she felt.

"Cath says you seemed sad tonight?" Concern was dripping from each and every word he questioned.

"I was just a little lonely. With Jessica gone, I didn't have much to do." Gemma paused, hearing Nick's voice in the background, she knew the conversation was over. "I'll be fine now."

"I have to go Babe, I'll call you sometime in the morning, okay?" Warrick hung up quickly, not able to wait for her answer. Gemma was glad as she hung up, for he would be able to hear the tears in her voice. Wiping the tears away, she made her way back to the front room. Prepared to watch TV until the news told her what her husband was dealing with.

Realizing that it was much too early for the news, she muted the television and turned Warrick's scanner on, listening to the noise, hoping for some information and praying that it wouldn't be something dangerous.

Hours later, Gemma woke up to find the television was on infomercials. Focusing her hazy gaze on the clock, she found that it was well past three in the morning. Her neck was stiff from sleeping weird. Levering herself off the couch, she stumbled her way to the bathroom and then went to crawl into her own bed. She hugged Warrick's pillow closely, inhaling his scent that lingered on the material.

She felt tears well up in her eyes irrationally wishing her husband was there in bed beside her. Since her pregnancy, there had been many nights that she cried for the warmth of her husbands arms. This was the one secret she had kept from Warrick. If he knew how miserable she was, the honorable man would quit the night shift and leave his CSI family. She would rather be lonely at night then cause him that heartache. She loved him too much to do that to him.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Jessica had awoken bright and early. As usual, she was cheerful and ready to go. Gemma was tired and cranky. Crying yourself to sleep did that to a person. When you had a twenty-pound bowling ball on your bladder, it did not make you any more chipper.

Gemma slowly got up and prepared breakfast for Jessica. Oddly, she had no appetite, so she only drank juice with her daughter. Then setting her daughter in front of the cartoons, she took her time cleaning the kitchen. She tried to talk her head out of pounding so roughly.

Warrick called to check in, getting Jessica to promise to help Mommy and be a good girl. Gemma didn't admit how miserable she felt, knowing that he had no way of coming home and he would spend the day feeling guilty for that. Instead, she feigned cheerfulness and wished him luck on his case, making him promise to be extra careful.

It was noon when the first pain hit. She was sitting at the table, trying to play the third round of CandyLand with Jessica when her felt a spasm of pain run through her back. Wincing from the discomfort, she told Jessica that they would have to finish later, Mommy needed to sit in a softer spot.

Breaking her rule of limiting Jessica's television time, she turned the cartoons back on and sat in the recliner. Jessica sat quietly on the floor with her stuffed monkey and watched the cartoons. Gemma let herself relax, drifting into a restless slumber, only to be woken by the next pain. With this pain, she understood it for what it was.

The pain had been getting worse as the hours passed. She tried calling Warrick, but his cell was out of the service area. Waiting a while, she tried again. Still no service. She tries to call her father, but Gil's phone is out of service too. Catherine, Nick, Sara, Greg……, all out of service. She needed someone.

Lucy is out of town for a nursing lecture. Hodges had gone on vacation. Trying Grams, she got the machine. The elderly woman refuses to carry a phone with her. Tears welled up in her eyes when she realized that she had no one that was not somehow connected to Warrick and the CSI's.

Jessica, the ever-sensitive child, looks up from her cartoons her big brown eyes full of concern. "Mommy huwt?"

"Yes, Sweetie, Mommy is hurting. It's okay though, it just means that the baby is ready to come out to meet you." Gemma gave a forced smile to her daughter. "I'm fine, Sweetie."

"Gotsta go to the Housetable?" Jessica questioned.

"In a while." I want Daddy to be here. I don't want to go to the hospital in a taxi."

"You Dwive."

"I can't, Sweetie." Gemma sighed. The ringing of the doorbell caused her to frown. She levered herself out of the chair, slowly making her way in the direction of the door. Jessica jumped up and ran for the door. "No Jess!" Gemma cried out as another pain wracked her body. She reached out frantically, grabbing the doorframe to support herself. She clenched her teeth, trying to keep herself upright as Jessica swung the front door open wide.

Sean Arthur stood on the front porch once again. "Hello?" He sounded surprised as he looked down at the little girl.

"Hi!" Jessica looked up at the man. "I'm Jessica."

"Should you be answering the door?" Sean knelt on one knee so he could be at her level. He watched the expression change to one of guilt.

"Daddy says not to." Jessica answered in a small, remorseful voice.

"Daddy? Is your Daddy, Warrick Brown?" He studied the little girl, seeing that she looked a lot like the lady of the house.

"Yep! Tha's my Daddy!" Jessica smiled prettily, looking proud of that fact.

"Is your father here?" He asked, his voice full of hope.

"Nope. He's at wook." Jessica let out a sigh full of sadness. "He's on a big case. He didn't come home last night."

"Is he an attorney?" Sean questioned, interested to know about the man that was so hard to catch.

Jessica frowned, trying to figure out the word. She was unsure what the big man with the strange voice had meant. "My daddy wooks wid Gwampa. They sove cwimes. They help Unca Jim put bad guys in jaiw."

"Oh!" Sean nodded, thinking he understood. "He's a policeman?"

"Uh….., No. He's a Cwimmagis. Daddy instigates the pawaces bad things happen. Ant Cat-twin says they do the wook, and the cops get to finish it."

"Uh….okay." Sean agreed without actually understanding. "Well, Jessica, my name is Sean Arthur." He offered the girl his hand. She looked at his hand for a moment before understanding what he was meaning. She took it in her small hand to shake it.

"My name is Jessica Wynn Brown. Nice to meet ya Mwista Aw-da…..Aw-tha."

"Why don't you call me Mr. Sean for now? Mr. Sean will do fine Miss Jessica." He offered, understanding her troubles. "And now….., where is your Mum?"

"Mommy's in the fwont room. She has to sit in a soft chaw cuz she's having a baby. Do you have a caw, Mwista Sean?"

"A caw? Oh! A car! Yes, I do have a car, Miss Jessica." Sean rose to his feet as the girl tugged at his arm, tugging him into the house. He entered reluctantly, shutting the door behind him.

"Good!" Jessica crowed, still tugging on his arm. "You can dwive Mommy to the Housetable!" Sean allowed her to pull him into the next room where Gemma Brown was standing, gripping the door jam, her face red and full of pain. One look at her face and the wet carpet below her feet and he understood what was happening.

"Mrs. Brown! You're having a baby right now!" He told her unnecessarily, as if she would need to be told that.

"Mommy! Mwista Sean has a caw! He's gonna take us to the Housetable!"

"Mr. Arthur…..I'm very happy to see you right now." Gemma gave him a pained smile through her sweat-covered face. "So very glad to see you."

"I understand why." He came over to her, scooping her up into his arms. "Jessica, open the door. Looks like we are going to the house-table."

"Hospital." Gemma chuckled nervously as the man, a stranger, carried her out to his car.

"Go shut the door, Miss Jessica." He ordered as he placed Gemma in the back seat of his car. Gemma recognized the sticker on the window of the car as a rental agency located at the airport.

"I'm afraid I'm causing you to lose your cleaning deposit on your rental agreement." She whispered tiredly.

Sean laughed deeply. "Let's not worry about this right now." When Jessica returned from shutting the door, Sean put her in the back seat next to Gemma and buckled her up.

Gemma's opinion of the man raised another notch as he did this. He climbed into the front seat and started the car. "Miss…uh….Ma'am…. Could you tell me where the House-table is?"

"Take a right, go three miles, then a left at the light." Gemma grunted in pain. "Please hurry. This baby is really eager to come out!"

Sean agreed whole-heartedly. He wasn't ready to deliver this woman's child, no matter how badly he wanted to meet her husband. He floored the car and sped off in the direction she had given. He hoped an prayed that she could hold out until they got to the hospital before this baby started coming.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Sean looked down at the small child attached to his arm. The hospital employees had taken Gemma Brown and rushed her away, leaving him alone with her small daughter. Jessica looked up at him, her eyes wide with apprehension.

"Hey? What's the matter?"

"I want my Daddy!" She began to sob.

"He's at work Miss Jessica." Sean frowned, curious why the man wasn't with his wife and child. He began wondering if the nurses could look after Jessica. He didn't want them to call social services, and she was too young to sit in the waiting room by herself.

"Mommy twied to call him. His phone didn't wook." Jessica sniffed, using the back of her hand to wipe her nose.

"Do you know his phone number?" He asked hoping that the young child would know the number. He was really at a loss for what to do.

"No."

"Do you know where he works?" He looked at the child, wondering if he should trust directions given to him by such a small child.

"Yeah. I been to Daddy's Wook." Jessica looked at him as if he should have known the answer to the question without asking.

"Where?" Sean questioned, waiting for her to answer. "Where does he work?"

"In a big bowding. In Gwampa's wab."

"Uh…… Do you know where the building is?" From what Sean could gather, Warrick Brown did some sort of work, possibly with the authorities. He wasn't sure what a 'Cwimagist' was, but it had something to do with cases. Now, he knew it involved a large building and what he guessed was a lab.

"Next to the powice bowding." Jessica answered, as if that explained everything.

"Alright." Frowning, Sean looked around, wondering if he could be arrested for kidnapping if he took the child out of the hospital. No, he rationalized to himself; he was taking her to find her father. Sean stopped a passing hospital employee and got directions to the nearest police station. Leading the girl out of the hospital, he only hoped that it was the correct police station.

"Tha's Daddy's Wook!" Jessica called out several minutes later. She pointed at a building next to the police station. "He on the number four. One, two, three, four."

"Alright." Sean agreed. Taking the girls hand again, he let her lead him into the building. She led him to the nearest elevator, acting as if she had been in the place before. She pushed the fourth floor button and beamed at him proudly.

"Daddy wooks hewe." She told him with a smile.

"Evidently so." Sean smiled back. He liked the kid. She was a cute kid. Her energy reminded him of his oldest daughter at this age. Sadly, his daughters were in there teens. Free smiles were rare once they got interested in boys.

The elevator dinged and the doors rolled open. "Hi Judy!" Jessica called out as they stepped out of the elevator. "I'm hewe!"

"Jessica?" The woman at the receptionist desk looked from the little girl to the man holding her hand. Her eyes widened nervously.

"We hewe to get my Daddy!" Jessica informed her.

"I'll….., see……, if she…., er-ah-he is here." She picked up the phone, punching in the numbers to page every CSI on the graveyard shift. Gil was the first to respond. "Mr. Grissom!" Judy called out, waving him over as he came into the hall. Gil was looking around curiously, as if wondering who was paging him from the front desk.

"Did you page me, Judy?"

"Hi Gwampa!" Jessica cried out, dancing beside Sean, still holding his hand. She was waving frantically.

"Jess?" Gil looked puzzled, looking from the strange man, to his granddaughter, to the receptionist. "What's going on?" What's Jessica doing here?" Who are you?"

"Gwampa, this is my fwiend, Mwista Sean." Jessica introduced him politely, tugging Sean forward. "Mwista Sean….., he my Gwampa. He name Gil Gwissom."

"You did that very well." Sean complimented the little girl before turning his attention to the man. The man looked a cross between perplexed and angry. "Mr. Grissom?" He assumed the name was Grissom and not Gwissom. "We're looking for Warrick Brown?"

Gil opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted when a very tall, irate black man came around the corner and charged over to them. Warrick demanded angrily, "What the hell are you doing with Jessica! Where is Gemma?"

Nick was hot on his tail, trying to catch hold of him before he did something foolish. Grissom put a hand out, holding Warrick back. Seeing that his pal was successfully stopped, Nick played the ever-friendly peacemaker. Putting on his "Texas Charm, he smiled as he stepped between his friend and the man with Jessica. "Hey Jess. What-cha doing here?"

"Warrick Brown?" The man offered his hand to Nick. "My name is Sean Arthur." Nick opened his mouth but no sound came out. No one had ever mistaken him for Warrick before. He was utterly speechless.

"Sean Arthur." Warrick growled, narrowing his eyes as he glared at the man. "You're the guy that keeps coming to the house. Where's my wife? What the hell are you doing with my daughter?"

"Mwista Sean tooked Mommy to the house table!" Jessica pulled on Warrick's pant leg. "My baby wanted to come see me."

"What?" Warrick gasped, paling as he looked down at his daughter.

"We tooked Mommy to the house table."

"Gemma's having the baby?" Gil repeated, looking to the man. Sean Arthur nodded, staring at Warrick as if he were a phantom.

Nick was the first to take action. "Gris, maybe you should drive Rick to the hospital. I'll take care of Jess and talk to Mr. Arthur."

"Yes." Gil took Warrick by the arm and led him to the elevator. The big man went docilely, clearly in shock. Nick watched them disappear then turned to the stranger. Ever since Warrick had stepped forward, the man had gone silent and pale.

"That was Warrick Brown?" He finally questioned.

"But…., he's black." The man sputtered.

"Yes." Nick drawled. "He is-"

"I-I-I never considered that he could be….., a black man." Sean Arthur released Jessica's hand so he could run his fingers through his hair. Just then, Catherine and Sara came rounding the corner.

"Wow." Catherine murmured. "Who is that with Nicky? Hubba-hubba!"

"I don't know who that is, but I'd sure like to know." Sara agreed. Nick heard their comments and frowned in disapproval. The women didn't pay much attention, Nick was the resident "Mr. Nice Guy, he wouldn't make too big of a deal.

"Sara…., Cath…., can you take Jess to the break room. I'm pretty sure Greg is there, he can play vids with Jess or something?" Nick asked.

"Unca Gweggo!" Jessica beamed, happily skipping along with the women in search of Greg.

"See you in a bit Jess." Nick called after the little girl. When she was out of sight, he turned back to the man. "Would you like to sit down Mr. Arthur? You look like you're in shock yourself."

"Could it be the wrong Warrick Brown?" Perhaps I have been led to the wrong man."

"I'm not sure what exactly you're looking for, but if this wrong turn made you help Gemma when she needed it…, I'm grateful." Nick led the man to a quieter place, Grissom's office.

"I have been looking for Warrick Brown for a year. This is the only Warrick Brown born in Las Vegas that I've been able to find…, it must be him! It's not a common name. I only found one more man with that name and he's in a rest home in Florida."

"Mr. Arthur…., perhaps I could help if I knew why you've been looking for Warrick? Or…., any Warrick." Nick offered.

"Not just any Warrick. Warrick Edward Brown." Sean frowned. He looked at Nick with interest. Swallowing roughly, he continued. "The Warrick Brown that I'm looking for is my brother."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

By the time Gil had gotten Warrick to the hospital, the initial shock had worn off. Warrick was frantic. He ran through the hospital, barely avoiding running people over. Getting to the O.B. Ward, he was by Gemma's doctor.

"Warrick Brown, You've made it just in time!" With a nod from the doctor to a nearby nurse, Warrick was whisked off to be cleaned up. A few minutes later, he was allowed to be with his wife.

Warrrick flew to her side, apologizing profusely. "Oh God, Baby, I'm so sorry I wasn't here for you!"

"Warrick." Gemma clasped his hand, smiling through her tears. "You're late."

"Yeah, well, you know how I like to make an entrance." Warrick chuckled, kissing his wife. Gemma let out a strained laugh, causing him to apologize again.

"You're here now, that's all that matters." Warrick kissed her again, still murmuring apologies.

"Well, Gemma." The doctor called out as he entered the room. "You've successfully held out until your no-good husband showed up. Are you ready to finish this now, Gemma?"

Gripping Warrick's hand harshly, Gemma panted. "Yes please!"

Warrick entered the waiting room quietly, looking around the room. His 'family' was all there waiting for him. Gil, Grams, Catherine and Doc Robbins were huddled together in the center of the room, the doc giving a detailed description of something. Sara and Greg were having a heated discussion as they both gulped down paper cups of coffee. Warrick took a moment to think that Greg was trying to mimic Sara's ability to survive on nothing but coffee.

Jim Brass sat in a chair reading a Highlights magazine to Jessica as she lay with her head on his chest, fingering the badge he wore on his shirt-pocket. Super Dave, Hodges, Archie and Judy were playing on Hodges travel sized board game. Warrick looked around, only Lucy and the girls were missing. He cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention to him.

The room grew silent as all else was forgotten as they noticed his arrival. Warrick stood there, grinning like a lunatic at the group. "Well!" Catherine called out, loud enough to give away her eagerness. "Tell us already!"

"It's a girl! A beautiful, healthy baby girl!" He announced proudly. "Her name is Susan Melinda Brown. We're going to call her Suzie."

"Oh Warrick! We're so happy for you!" Catherine was sobbing by the time she hugged him. Everyone took a turn coming up to congratulate him. They all asked questions and wanted details. It took quite a long time to make it through his family.

Warrick turned from hugging Judy and noticed the quiet man standing by the windows with Nick. Warrick lost his elation and grew angry. "What is he doing here?" He growled.

"Now, Warrick" Nick came over to his friend, putting a hand on his shoulder. "He helped Gemma. He's here to see you. He wants to get to know you."

"Why? He's been coming to my house for days. How do I know he's not planning something? I want him out of here!" Warrick snarled.

"Rick." Jim snapped, warning him. Warrick was far too emotional to comprehend the word of warning.

"Don't be an asshole." Nick hissed so quietly only Warrick could hear him.

"I want him gone!" Warrick repeated angrily.

"I'll go." The Englishman agreed quietly. Two pair of green eyes met across the way. One set angry, the other searching. When the searching pair found only anger, they turned away sadly.

"I would like to give you my congratulations." Sean offered the younger man his hand. The hand remained stretched out for a moment, ignored. With a little nod, Sean turned and walked out of the room.

Angry and confused, Warrick turned to see everyone solemnly watching him. Nick was looking at him with disgust. "That was wrong Warrick." Nick shook his head. "Very wrong, Bro."

"Where's Mr. Arthur?" Gemma questioned after the last of the CSI's made their way out. "I'd like to thank him for all he did."

"He's not here." Warrick whispered, placing his infant daughter into her basinet. His older daughter was asleep on the foot of Gemma's bed. The other CSI's were heading back to work, still working on their unsolvable case. Naturally, Gil had given Warrick the next couple of days off to be with his wife.

It just went to show how much his life had changed. Before Gemma, he would never willingly leave a case while the others were still struggling on it. Now, his job was no longer the most important thing in his life. These three females in this room were more important than anything that he could ever imagine. More important than he'd ever imagined. Sometimes that frightened him.

"Oh." Gemma sounded disappointed. "Did you get a chance to talk with him? He's so eager to talk with you. He came all the way from England to find you. I'm very curious to know why. Aren't you?" Gemma chatted on; unaware of the affect her words were having on her husband.

Glancing up at her husband, she read the guilt in his expression. "Oh, Warrick, what did you do?"

"I told him to get lost." Warrick admitted.

"Oh…., Warrick….., that poor nice man." Gemma sighed.

"How do you know he is nice?" Warrick wanted to know, trying to keep his voice down, he moved to the side of the bed.

"He drove me to the hospital. He took the time to buckle Jessica into the car. He could have dumped Jess off at the nurses' station, but he went in search of you instead. He's a nice man."

"Or a man that wants something. He gives me a bad vibe, Gemma." Warrick countered. "None of that proves that he's a nice man. We know nothing about him."

"His eyes tell me that he is. He wears his feelings in his eyes, just like you. In fact, his eyes remind me of your eyes." Gemma used her mothering voice that she used when Jessica had done something wrong. Warrick frowned, not liking being on the disapproving end of her opinion.

Warrick sat sulking beside her bed until the nurses sent Warrick and Jessica away for the night. Carrying the sleeping little girl in his arms, he was surprised to find Nick and Hodges in the hall waiting for him. "What's going on?" He questioned them suspiciously, as Hodges took Jessica out of his arms.

"David is taking Jessica home so you don't have to worry about her tonight." Nick explained as Hodges walked away with the sleeping child.

"I can't stay with Gemma, they kicked me out." Warrick told him sadly.

"You're going to the Desert Pine, room 502." Nick informed him.

"A case?" Warrick frowned. "Gil said I could have tonight off."

"No case. That's where Sean Arthur is staying. He has a flight at nine in the morning. You have to speak to him tonight, Bro." Nick grabbed Warrick roughly by the arm, propelling him down the hall. "Whatever you've got against the guy is wrong. Go talk to the man. For his sake and for your own."

"Nick, you're pushing it." Warrick warned with a hiss.

"I don't care right now. You're not frightening me. If you want to beat the shit out of me, go ahead. I'll still tell you that you need to go talk to him. That man flew all this way to talk with you and you're going to give him a few moments to do just that."

Warrick glared at his friend. He had no real desire to fight with Nick and he figured that Nick knew that. He was known for having a poker face, but Nick had called his bluff. "Okay." He agreed in a tone that unmistakably lacked enthusiasm.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The Desert Pine had to be one of the worst motels in Vegas, Warrick decided as he pulled into the parking lot. At two in the morning, a decent motel would be quiet, but this place was hopping with activity. It certainly wasn't the type of activity he wanted to know about either.

Finding room 502, he knocked loudly. When there was no answer, he banged again even louder. Where would a guy be at this hour? With a grin, he realized, Vegas always had something going on and someplace you could be. Before Gemma, he hadn't stayed home at night.

"That hunk isn't in there." A female voice called out to him. Turning, Warrick spotted a young prostitute leaning out of a doorway a few doors down. She looked to be in her late thirties, but living the life she lived, she could be younger. "One hunk looking for another." She whistled, smiling at him. "No wonder he wouldn't have anything to do with me, if he's got you." Sauntering up to Warrick, she gave him a thorough once-over. "Damn, you are one sexy piece of meat! You go share that with the girls too, or just the boys?"

"You see him tonight? You know where he went?" Warrick ignored her flirtation. He never took any flirtation from a hooker as serious. They weren't exactly meticulous about who they were with. This one seemed to be going beyond flirtation.

"Sure do. Honey, why don't you give me a kiss and I'll tell ya?" She pushed up close to him, pressing her half-covered breasts up against his arm.

"I only kiss my wife." Warrick replied dryly, stepping back away from the woman. He admitted that she was good looking, but he wasn't interested. He was truly in love with his wife. No one had interested him since he'd met Gemma. "And you are not her."

"Too bad." She pouted prettily. "He's over at Mel's." She motioned to the bar across the street with a jerk of her head. Warrick looked at the bar in question; it was a hive of activity. Like most places in Vegas, it would not close until the sun came up. He grimaced, wondering if he was really up to talking with this person. Both Nick and Gemma felt it was important, so he had agreed when Nick insisted that he come find the man. He admitted, solely to himself, that he had been overtly rude to the man at the hospital. He really hadn't had any reason to kick the man out of the hospital.

Making up his mind, Warrick turned and headed to the bar. He knew it wasn't the type of place he would willingly frequent, but evidently, it was the type of place that Sean Arthur went to. It was, like the motel, there to cater to the lower class of people. The type of place he would be coming to for work.

Warrick snarled in disgust as he entered, thinking sarcastically that this guy must be pretty high quality if he came here. The place was a mess and the patrons weren't any better. Spotting the blonde man sitting at the end of the bar, he slid onto a barstool beside him. He felt a little better when he saw that the Englishman didn't fit in. Sean Arthur was too nicely dressed compared to the average clientele in the place. "Mind if I buy you a drink Arthur?"

There was a beer in front of the man, but it barely looked as if it had been touched. Taking a moment to study the man, Warrick could see that this wasn't his first beer. Sean Arthur turned his bloodshot eyes to Warrick, and Warrick saw that the man was drunk. When the bartender came over, looking at Warrick expectantly, he held up two long fingers. "Coffee."

"I've got ale." Sean was trying to focus on Warrick, but having a hard time doing so. Warrick wondered how many drinks the man had had in the hours since he had last seen him. The drunk studied his face as Warrick removed the beer from in front of him. There was a look of hopelessness on his face as he nodded, "Thank you."

"No…., thank you. You took care of my family today. I was an asshole to you. I'd like to apologize." Warrick spat out, full of loath at having to do so.

"Painful, huh?" Green eyes sparkled with unshed laughter.

"What?"

"Apologizing, having to admit that you were wrong. I've had to do so a few times. Hurts like Hell." Sean smiled drunkenly, seeming to enjoy the idea of Warrick in pain.

"Yeah." Warrick agreed as the coffees were put in front of them. He glared at the barman as he grabbed a napkin to sop up the coffee that sloshed on the counter in front of him. Obviously, this place wasn't in business because of its excellent service.

"It's I-ironic. I've spent the last year…., hunting for you. I find you……, but you're nothing like what I'd imagined you to be. Then, you won't give me the time of day!" The laughter was gone from Sean's voice and expression. Even though he was under the influence, he was completely serious now.

"A year?" Warrick grimaced as he took a sip of the coffee; it was worse then the last dregs of the dayshift coffee. He wished for some of Greg's specially brewed coffee. "Why would you spend a year looking for me?"

"To find you, of course." Sean gave him a wide grin, but it didn't seem to really contain any levity. Warrick had to chuckle at the childlike answer.

"Okay, why did you want to find me? What happened a year ago for you to even know my name?" He rephrased it carefully. "It's not like I'm common knowledge anywhere but Vegas. Hell, this is a big town, I'm not exactly famous here either."

"My father died a year ago." Sean answered with a frown. "In his estate, there was letters,…. for my sister and me. In my letter, he wrote about a trip to America he once made. To Las Vegas." Sean motioned around him drunkenly. Warrick put a hand on his back to steady the man as he wobbled on his seat. "Business trip."

"Did I meet him or something?" Warrick tried to remember anyone by the name of Arthur. Nothing came to mind. Sean Arthur was older than he was, he guessed the father had to be at least in his late sixties when he died. The only men around that age that he dealt with were usually on a cold slab in the morgue.

"No…., it was a long time ago. I was a child at the time." Sean shook his head, he would have fallen off the stool if it hadn't have been for Warrick. "He fell in love with a woman who lived here. He had an affair. He ended it when he came back home. My mother never knew."

Sean looked at his coffee, seeming to get lost in the dark brew. Warrick nudged him. "What's this all got to do with me?"

"The woman…., wrote to him." Sean took a big gulp of the scalding coffee. "I have some of the letters. She wrote that she was pregnant…., his child. Later she wrote to him again. She had a baby boy."

"So, you want me to find the baby?" Warrick frowned, really confused by the way this conversation was spinning.. "I'm a criminalist, not a private detective. I can recommend some good people in that line of work."

"No! I know where he is….., I know who he is." Sean shook his head again, his eyes seemed clearer as he looked at Warrick again.

"Okay, I give. What's this got to do with me?" Talking in circles with a drunk was beginning to get on Warrick's nerves. He wanted to know the point to this conversation, and he wanted to know it now. He wanted to get out of this place, take a shower, get some sleep then go back to be with his wife.

"The baby's name was Warrick Edward Brown. He was born here in Las Vegas in October tenth of that year…. 1970. " Looking up at Warrick, Sean smiled. "You… were… that….. baby, Brother Mine!"

"I am not your brother!" Warrick's anger flared up, he jumped up off the stool, fists clenching at his sides. "I don't know who put you up to this shit, but lay off, man!"

"No one has 'put me up' to this." Sean turned, still wobbling on the stool. "I'm serious. I've done the research on-"

"I want you out of my life! I never want to see or hear from you ever again!" Warrick had an overwhelming desire to knock this man right to the floor. Raising his fist, he nearly did, but stopped just in time. He would not do that to his wife. He couldn't be that type of man anymore. So instead, he threatened the man, "If you ever try to contact me or my family ever again, I'll beat the shit out of you."

Turning on one heel, he stormed out of the bar. Anger spurred him to slam the car door extra hard. He gripped the steering well with hands shaking with his rage. He knew he was too upset to even consider driving just yet. He sat there, trying to control the desire to pummel the man to death. He let out a mirthless laugh, imagining the look on Gil's face when they were called to this place to solve the case of an Englishman beaten to death with a pair of fists.

He was still sitting there when Sean Arthur came out of the bar. Warrick watched the drunken man stumble out of the bar and make his way to the motel room. Seething anger burned through him as he watched the man until he disappeared into his room.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The graveyard shift gathered in Warrick's backyard the next afternoon before shift. Warrick moved around, chatting with his friends until he noticed that his wife was sitting in her chair, crying. In the middle of a sentence, he left Greg and hurried over to Gemma. "Baby? What's the matter? Are you in pain?"

"No." Gemma sobbed, sniffling as she tried to control her raging emotions.

"Then, why are you crying?" Warrick used his thumbs to wipe away her tears. "You know I hate to see you crying."

"I'm just happy." Gemma sniffed. "They're…, family. I've never had a real family before. You've given me a family!"

Warrick looked across the yard with a puckered brow; all he saw was his friends. "Who?"

"Nick, Sara, Greg….., all of them. They're our family, aren't they?" Gemma gave him a teary smile. "This is how I've always imagined a family to be like."

Warrick gave her an unsure look and then looked across the yard again. It dawned on him that Gemma was right. They were like a family. Gil was the stern but doting father. Catherine the wise older sister, always eager to teach them from her mistakes so they wouldn't have to repeat them. Sara the overachieving younger sister, determined to outshine everyone else. Greg the nutty younger brother, dogging everyone's steps, set on being just like everyone else.

Even Doc was the quirky uncle that everyone had in his or her families, always ready with some odd story that had a moral punch line. The others, Archie, David, and Judy, they were the cousins that you only saw at family gatherings but wondered why you didn't hang out with them more often. Even Hodges was the annoying cousin that followed you around, just so he could tattle on you later. Watching Hodges chatting with Catherine, Warrick shook his head. He wondered, once more, why Gemma had chosen the odd man as her best friend.

Thinking of best friends brought his attention to Nick. Nick sat on the far edge of the group, in a heated discussion with his girlfriend, Lucy. If he could pick one person in the world to be his brother, it would be Nick. Other than Gemma, Nick was the one person who knew him the best. He knew all his faults and accepted him as he was. He was the one to go to if he needed advice or a shoulder to lean on. Nick was the one that understood, no matter what. Nick was his brother, blood or not.

Although, now, Nick did not seem to be in a brotherly mood towards Warrick. He'd asked immediately how the meeting with Sean went. When Warrick had angrily told him, Nick had looked disenchanted with him and walked away. Nick hadn't spoken to him since.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Warrick agreed, turning his attention back to his wife. I have all the family I've ever wanted or needed. I've got it right here with you."

"What do you mean you weren't really at a meeting?" Nick muttered, his voice bordering on anger.

"I had a visiting. Warrick needed a push to meet his brother. He was going to avoid seeing him. Sean was going to go back to England without ever speaking to Warrick. I knew Gemma was going to be in labor, and with Grams and me out of the picture, she would need someone to help her. Sean just happened along." Lucy whispered her confession.

"So, you drug Grams into this?" Nick frowned. "She wasn't visiting a sick friend?"

"No, we went shopping together." Lucy shrugged. "I explained it to her, she agreed with it. She wants Warrick to expand his family, learn more about his history."

"It seems like you put your own feelings above Gemma's in this. She needed her family with her. You're supposed to be her friend, Lucy." Nick reprimanded, full of disapproval.

"I knew she was okay. If he hadn't have been there, Grams and I would have came." Lucy looked a little uncomfortable as she defended herself, but she was keeping her chin up, determined that she had been right to do as she did. "She has her guardian angels, watching over her. I've spoken with some of them; they wouldn't let her come into harm again. Grams and I were close enough that we could have gotten to her if she really needed us."

"It just seems rather cruel to punish Gemma just because her husband is a jackass." Nick growled, surprising the redhead.

"What's all that about?" Lucy looked over at where Warrick was sitting with Gemma. He was looking over at Nick, an unreadable expression on his face. Lucy heard the whispering in her head. "You guys are fighting?"

"No, not really." Nick was pointedly not looking over to where his best friend was, proving that it was some degree of a fight on his side. "I just thought he should hear Sean out, so I convinced him to go see him last night. I sort of forced him to go see him."

"And?" Lucy knew the answer, but sometimes knowing things ahead of time wasn't the right way of doing things. She played dumb so Nick could get it out of his system.

"He told the guy to get lost. Just about threw him onto the plane back to England." Nick grumbled.

"And? You believe the man? You think they might really be brothers?" Lucy probed, wanting him to admit the feelings she already knew he felt.

"I think it might be a possibility. Look at him! He's not really a dark skinned guy. His eyes are green, for goodness sakes!" Nick cried out, instantly quieting himself as he realized he was drawing attention to himself. "He could very well be half white."

"And Warrick doesn't believe he is?"

"I don't know. He's just very angry about the whole idea." Nick sighed, watching his friend covertly. "Growing up without a father has got to be rough, especially when you lose your mother too. The possibility that this guy was off raising another son could be a little more than Rick can accept." Even while angry, Nick had an unusual ability to be understanding.

"So? Are you going to give him some space to sort it out? Or are you going to continue being mad because he didn't react with the eagerness that you felt he should?" Lucy questioned.

Her lover turned his deep brown eyes on her, and shook his head. "You know, sometimes its damn right irritating to have a girlfriend who knows everything." He grinned playfully before leaning over and kissing her passionately.

"Hey now." Greg was suddenly standing over them. "Knock that off, there's children present."

Pulling apart, they looked up to see that Greg was holding the newborn. Nick stood up, gently taking the baby from him. He was actually shaking as he held the tiny thing. He'd never held a baby so small. His nieces and nephews had all been born after he had left Texas. They'd been sturdy toddlers by they time he'd finally went to see them. Even Jessica had arrived in the family already a toddler. He quickly handed the baby to Lucy, afraid he might hurt her.

"Hey, that's my daughter, not a football, Stokes!" Warrick reprimanded him gently as he approached. He stood a few feet away, as if unsure if he would be welcome.

"Yeah, she's too pretty to be a football." Nick agreed, stepping over to hug his pal. "Good thing she looks like Gemma, huh?"

"Aw, Nicky, I know you think I'm sexy!" Warrick quipped, returning the hug. Nick was the type of guy that liked to hug. It had taken Warrick a long time to get used to Nick's fascination with hugging. They'd agreed that as long as it wasn't in public, an occasional hug would be acceptable. Although this hug was technically in public, he didn't consider the fellow graveyard shifters public. As Gemma had just pointed out, they were his family.

One thing was for sure, Warrick was glad that Nick now had Lucy to fulfill his monthly hugging quota.

Tbc…..


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Grams moved in the evening Warrick had to return to work. She informed Gemma that she was only there as temporary help and would leave the moment Gemma was tired of her being there. Gemma loved the woman, so she refused to tell her to go home. So it was, on Warrick's next night off, Grams came out to sit on the porch with him and Suzie while Gemma bathed Jessica.

"So, are you ever going to tell me about it?"

"About what?" Warrick turned his attention to his grandmother and immediately knew what and who she was talking about. "So, you know all about that?"

"Not all, just what the others know. You gonna tell me about it, Honey?" She made a fuss of adjusting the baby's blanket while he considered it.

"This man,…..he claims I'm his brother." Warrick sighed. He had lost the initial anger, now, he was just confused. "He's white."

"And you never considered that you might have white blood in you? Baby, you've got green eyes, and you're lighter than anyone else in this family."

"I thought there might be some white blood in me, but…..half?" Warrick frowned.

"Baby, does it matter to you? It's not like you're prejudiced, you have a white wife, a white daughter, a half white baby. Why does it matter what you are?"

"I've considered myself a black man for all these years. I can't fathom being a white man all of a sudden." Warrick admitted, he looked shocked as Grams burst out into laughter. "What?"

Cackling, Grams sputtered out her reply. "Honey, you ain't gonna suddenly change into a white man. No one will ever call you a white man!"

"Grams! That's not what I meant!" Warrick felt himself blushing, mentally admitting what it had sounded like. "I meant, I've thought like a black man, if this guy is right, and I'm half-white, how do I-"

"You think like Warrick. Not like a black man, not like a white man. You think, and feel like a good man, because that's what you are. You are a fine man, I'm proud of everything there is to you. You're not going to change just because you may have some genes you didn't know about." Grams reached over and pinched his cheek, an old habit she had done all of his life. There were times when he had hated the action, now, he found he didn't mind it so much.

"Do you think my mother had an affair with a married man? With an Englishman?" Warrick looked to his grandmother, hoping she would shed some light on all the questions that swirled in his head.

With a deep sigh, Grams nodded. "I knew the man was married. He went back to his wife. That's all I know."

"So, he could have been this white Englishman who went back to his wife in England, leaving Mom alone and pregnant?"

"Could be true." Grams shrugged, rising she took the baby from him. "Skeeters will be swarming this sweet-pea any moment. I'm taking her inside."

Warrick rose and followed her in. "So, you're saying that I should look into this? I should find out if this man is really my brother?"

"I'm just saying it could be true. It's up to you. If you're curious, find out the truth. That's what you do for a living. How hard would it be for you to find out if it's the truth?"

"Wouldn't take more than a blood test." Warrick shrugged, shutting the door behind him and leaning heavily against it as if the world was weighing him down.

"Are you curious?" She questioned, studying the boy she loved more than life itself. She didn't like the pain she saw in his beloved green eyes.

"Yeah."

"Then you decide if it's worth finding out." Grams told him hesitantly. "No one can decide this for you. No one can do this for you. It's all up to you."

Nick found his friend sitting in the locker room, holding his head in his hands as he leaned over, nearly in half. "Bro? What's the matter? Did you have a fight with Gemma?"

"Nah, we hardly ever fight." Warrick sat up to look at his friend. He looked tired, and worn out. "Besides, we can't have a fight yet, we couldn't have the make up sex."

Nick guffawed loudly at Warrick's quip. He now understood what Warrick meant. For the first time ever in his life, he was in a serious relationship. One that was worth fighting for. "You seriously don't fight? Luce and I fight constantly!"

"That's what you get for being with a redhead. I bet she wins every time too!" Warrick chuckled.

"Of course, she's a freaking Medium! She gets all the answers." Nick came and sat on the bench with him. "You seriously don't fight?"

"Ah, she still gets a little insecure every once in a while. Back when we met, the first night we were on the run? She was afraid of me. She thought I was going to rape her or something in the motel room. So….., I made a comment that she wasn't too my liking. That her chest was too small for her to be of interest. It was just to make her think I wasn't interested in her in that way-"

"She knows it's the other end that you go for, right?" Nick questioned, shocked at this new information.

"Well, most times I think she understands, but sometimes, she's insecure. She's pointed out that Lucy has a more voluptuous figure. Brings up that fact that I could have had a shot at her if I hadn't of 'settled for her'. It's just her insecurities. That guy, Tony, did a number on her self esteem. Had her convinced that no one would truly want her for her."

"Too bad he's already dead." Nick frowned.

"Yeah, I hear ya." Warrick agreed then changed the subject. "Seriously, it's not that big of a deal. I just make a little extra effort to show her that it's really her I want. No hardship on my part." Warrick gave Nick a grin that told it all.

"Is it from lack of….." Nick questioned

"Naw, it's all good." Warrick blushed. "Gemma keeps me happy in…other ways."

"Okay, let's not go there, bro." Nick didn't want to think about Gemma in that way. Sharing a few details with his pal was one thing, but he didn't want to start hearing details about the woman he considered his sister.

"I wouldn't tell ya." Warrick cackled. "But she could probably give Lucy a few pointers."

"Enough already, man!" Nick punched Warrick in the arm. "That's Grissom's daughter you're talking about." Although Nick had gotten Warrick to smile and laugh, the stress and fatigue still showed on Warrick's face. "So, what's eating you? Something with the girls? A case? Money problems? What?"

"I've been thinking. About that guy."

"Sean?" Nick understood now. "Now that the anger has dissipated, you're curious. Maybe a little guilty for being so rough on the guy?"

"Yeah." Warrick was often a man of few words. He had the peculiar ability to put so much information in one word that it could tell a story. This was one of those times. Nick nodded in understanding.

"So what are you going to do?"

"I guess I call the guy. Apologize and ask him if he minds if I do a blood test." Warrick sighed.

"He doesn't mind."

"Wha-?" Warrick's head whipped around so he could stare at Nick like he'd grown another head.

"Well, he didn't mind before. After Gil took you to the hospital to be with Gemma, I talked to the guy." Nick explained as he stood and opened his locker. Reaching into the back of his shelf, he pulled something out and offered it to Warrick. Warrick took it and examined the small canister. "He willingly gave me the blood after I warned him about how stubborn you are. I knew you'd need proof."

Warrick started at the canister that contained a swab of blood, swallowing roughly. With a soft chuckle he shook his head in disbelief. "You definitely know me. You could have just gotten a mouth swab."

"Blood lasts longer, I thought you might take your time getting curious. Greg can run the test for you. He's discrete about things like that. Mia's not too thrilled about sharing the lab with him, but Greg'll sweet talk her into accepting.

"We keep putting the rat back in the lab, huh?" Warrick chuckled, rising to his feet.

"Hey, you know you're here to work?" Gil was suddenly standing in the doorway, glaring at them. "You're late for assignments!"

"Yes, Dad!" Warrick called out playfully, he and Nick hurried after him. On the way, Warrick pocketed the canister already debating if he was ready to have the test run.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Greg approached the big man cautiously. It had been a rough shift, and Warrick was not in the best of moods. To start with, the DB was a seven year old girl. It had always been rough on Warrick to have a child victim, but now that he was a father, it seemed to affect him even more. The inability to disassociate ones home life from the victim was one of the reasons most CSI's were single and childless.

Grissom normally tried not to put his two CSI who were parents on cases involving children, but he couldn't help but assign Catherine and Warrick to this case. Nick was in court for the day. Sara was on a continuing case and Gil was in meetings the entire evening.

To start the case off, Warrick had had words with the responding officer at the scene. A physical altercation had been eminent if it had not been stopped by Catherine and Jim Brass. Things hadn't gotten much better as the case dragged on.

Now, the man was sitting on the break room couch, looking like a bundle of nerves. He was leaning forward, one leg nervously jumping up and down to a tone that had the whole couch vibrating. Greg paused beside the nervous man, leery about confronting him. Warrick was staring off in space, clearly in such deep thought that he was unaware of his surroundings.

"Warrick?"

"Huh?" Like a switch being flicked, the man's demeanor changed completely. He eyed the paper in Greg's hand but made no move to take it.

"You sure you want this Warrick?" Greg had never seen the older man look so uneasy. He had seen Warrick angry but never nervous. In all the time that he'd known him, Warrick was the guy who stayed cool. Greg had always admired the older man's ability to let things come as they go.

Occasionally, Warrick could let the anger take over, but he could usually reign himself in. Except for when it came to his wife and family, Warrick wasn't one to let things get to him. This bewildered Warrick was actually looking like he was afraid of the piece of paper. That was definitely not the Warrick Greg knew.

"Yeah." Warrick took the paper, but he still didn't look at it. Frowning, he stared into space as his fingers worried the edge of the paper.

"You need me to leave so you can be in privacy or would you like me to just tell you what it says?" Greg offered, unsure how to handle this. He needed someone to help him. He glanced around, hoping to see Nick or Catherine. Even Sara would know how to handle this Warrick better than he did. No one but the day shift was around. Warrick was stuck with him, whether either liked it or not.

"No." Warrick answered, sending Greg into a spiral of confusion.

"No what?" Greg questioned. "I gave you an either-or question. Which part was the no for?"

"I don't want you to leave….." Warrick was actually shaking as he clutched the paper. "Do you mind? Maybe you could sit here with me while I work up the courage?"

"I can do that." Greg felt himself standing taller. The big man was asking for his support! He was needed. He patted Warrick's shoulder in a clumsy attempt at comforting him and plopped down on the couch beside him. He reached over, reclaiming the paper that was slowly disintegrating in Warrick's clasp. "For as long as you want or need."

"I shouldn't be so nervous." Warrick admitted quietly "But, I keep thinking, no matter what it says my life is going to change."

"How is that?"

"Let's forget the whole thing about him being white. If this guy is my brother, then I have these people who are my family. All my life, I never had that. I'll have a history that I can learn about. I'll have actual connections to other people in the world other than Grams and my girls." Warrick explained. "I know it shouldn't be, but it's scary."

"And if he's not? What changes then?"

"All my life, I had this hope in the back of my head. A hope that my father, my family, was out there looking for me. This was my one and only chance of finding him. I've lost all hope of ever finding out who my father is or was." Warrick sighed, eyeing the paper in Greg's hand. "Can you tell me the results Greg? I think I'm ready."

"You sure you want me to do this with you? I can call Nick or Gil-"

"Greg, please." Warrick begged. "You're the guy I came to, why would I want someone else to be here?"

"For emotional support."

"You're doing fine." Warrick chuckled, realizing that the younger man was worried about straining the bounds of their friendship. "You're a good friend Greg. I know you're taking time out of your sleep schedule to do this with me."

"Anytime Warrick." Greg cleared his throat, watching the man as he finally answered. "I tested your blood against Mr. Arthur's. As far as I can tell, it's a really good possibility that you are related. It's really rare, next to impossible for complete strangers to match this closely"

Warrick swallowed roughly as he let the information to soak in. Several long silent moments stretched on before he was able to form the words. "Should I be happy I finally know? Or should I be disappointed in my mother for sleeping with a married man?"

"You can't think like that. She probably loved him very much. You wouldn't be alive if she hadn't." Greg argued. "You've got a brother now. Actually, you've always had one, just neither of you knew about it."

"That doesn't make me feel any better. The man waits until he's dead to let people know about me. He must have been ashamed of me."

"He didn't know you. How could he be ashamed of you?" Greg couldn't imagine someone ever being ashamed of a man like Warrick. He was one of the greatest guys he knew. When he was younger, first starting out in the lab, he'd idolized the big guy. Warrick had been smart, ambitious and a hit with the ladies. As time had passed, Greg had seen that the guy was human, making some major mistakes along the way that had caused Warrick to lose some of the ambitious drive.

What replaced that ambition was even more admirable in Greg's mind. Warrick had become selfless, putting others before himself. He had even appointed himself Greg's teacher, showing him what to do and not to do before Grissom had a chance to disapprove. Back when he first started out as a CSI, and had ran into some trouble, Warrick had offered support as soon as he heard. After the shift, he'd even taken him out for beers and talked it over with him.

It had happened countless times. Sometimes it was just little things like covering up for someone's mistakes, or taking the blame when things went wrong. Years ago, when Catherine had been taken off on a wild goose chasing case involving a severed finger, it had been Warrick who remembered that Lindsey needed to be picked up from school. He had been the one to watch the kid.

Then there had been the favor that Gil asked of Warrick a couple years back. Warrick had willingly given up his hard earned vacation and took off with Gils daughter, risking his life in the process. He'd ended up nearly dead, shot and bleeding, yet still protecting the female. Sure, he'd ended up with a wife and daughters from that, but he hadn't known that was a possibility when he'd went into the situation. He'd just done what was needed.

In Greg's book, Warrick was a true hero. A man above all others. He decided to tell the distraught man the truth. "This guy, who fathered you, would have been proud of you. If he'd known you, he'd have been bursting out the seems with pride, Warrick, man. You are…., the type of guy people aspire to be. For a long time, man, you've been my hero."

Warrick looked at the younger man, his eyes teary. He blushed and grinned sheepishly. "Thanks Greg. I needed that."

"Of course….," Greg couldn't let the tone stay so mushy, "You can never mention that I said this, or use this against me in any way. I do have some dirt on you that I can start slinging, should you ever mention this conversation again."

"I hear ya." Warrick guffawed, looking as if he felt better.

Tbc…..


	10. Chapter 10

This chapter is dedicated to my niece, who wanted to be in my story. She is "Lizzie" right down to the glasses.

Chapter 10

Warrick could hear loud girlish giggles before he got the front door open. He frowned, it was only eight in the morning and Jessica seemed to be going strong already. As he got into the house, he was nearly run over by not one, but two small bodies.

"Daddy!" Jessica launched herself at him, catching him around one thigh.

"Uncle Warrick!" Kelly Holcomb-soon-to-be-Stokes caught him around the other thigh.

"Girls, let him get in the door first." Gemma admonished gently as she came into the room. She leaned over the giggling girls to give her tired husband a sweet kiss on the mouth.

"Hey Babe." Warrick relished the kiss and stole one of his own, taking a little more time to enjoy the taste of her mouth.

"EWWW!" The girls piped up, still clinging to him. Finally, Warrick ended the kiss, bending down and scooping both girls ups into his arms.

"You just keep thinking eww," He advised. "for the next thirty or forty years!"

"Dream on." Gemma clucked, heading back into the kitchen. Warrick followed, carrying his cargo with him. "Little early in the day for partying isn't it?"

"Lucy was called in to work. Nick was out cold, so I told her to bring them here. Don't worry, as soon as you've eaten, we'll take off to the zoo. That way, you can get some sleep in the quiet."

"Don't they have school?"

"It's Saturday, Darling." Gemma gave him another peck on the cheek. "Here in America, we don't send kids to school on Saturdays. Besides, school doesn't start up for another two weeks."

"It's Saturday already?" Warrick looked from one little girl to the other, they giggled in response. Giving them a quick, noisy kiss on their noses, he put them down. They quickly disappeared.

"So? Where are Lizzie, Suzie and Grams?"

"I sent Grams home." Gemma was busy mixing some sort of batter, most likely pancakes. "Lizzie is sitting with Suzie while she naps."

"Let me guess, Lizzie is reading a book?"

"Yes." Gemma nodded. Lizzie rarely did anything that didn't require a book in her hands. The girl was known for walking into walls as she tried to read and walk at the same time. "Nick got her the new Harry Potter on the way home from work. She's nearly halfway into it already." Seeing how tired her husband looked, she came over to wrap her arms around him. He returned the hug, leaning into her with a sigh. "Rough night?"

"Yeah." Warrick wasn't willing to share the details of this particular case with her. "Nick convinced me to have my DNA tested against Sean Arthur's."

"Where did you get his blood?" Gemma questioned into his chest. She looked up into his green eyes and saw the emotions swirling there. She hugged him tighter, tiptoeing up to place kisses along his jaw.

"Nick got it from him while we were at the hospital." Warrick admitted with a grunt. "Before I sent him packing."

"And, you found out the results?" Gemma questioned gently, pulling back to look into his eyes.

"We matched. He was right. We are brothers." Warrick snorted. "At least, It's highly likely that we are brothers.

"How do you feel about that?"

"Like an ass, just like everyone said I was." Warrick laughed wryly. "I handled it all pretty badly."

"I think Nick was the only one that said that." Gemma corrected smartly. "Others probably thought it though."

"Did you?" Warrick studied his wife, wondering again, why he had once thought she was plain looking. He ran a finger along her face, ending at her mouth. She was perfect, his perfect woman. Her luminous blue eyes studied him, so full of love and concern.

"No. I understood. If you remember, I wasn't very kind to Gil when he admitted that he was my father." Gemma reminded him, looking slightly melancholic.

"You slapped him silly, Girl!" Warrick crowed, remembering the moment clearly. "You also called him some things you must have learned from sailors."

"Yes, thank you for reminding me." Gemma sighed. "I'm just saying. I understood your initial reaction. I didn't get a choice in whether to find out or not. He just blurted it out to me."

"Gil didn't handle it very well." Warrick agreed. "He's never been very good at the personal contact type of stuff. He's the first to say that he's not a people person. If I'd known that was how he was going to handle it, I would have done it myself instead of letting him do it. I just thought it was his to tell."

"He was nervous, and he felt pressured by our impending marriage. He didn't want you going into marriage with a secret forced on you by him." Gemma defended her father. "He's trying. He's getting better at being around people."

"That's because you and Jess won't let him slither off and hide from his feelings. You're teaching how be human." Warrick kissed the top of her head. "Thank you. You've made me feel better about this."

"I'm making waffles. Are you hungry?" Gemma pulled away, going back to her batter.

"What I'm hungry for, I can't have." Warrick waggled his eyebrows at her, causing his wife to blush. Grinning, he headed out of the kitchen, pausing at the door, he added, "I'm going up to look at our baby and then take a shower. You don't have to hurry off with the girls; I doubt I'll be sleeping anytime soon. There's too much on my mind."

"I'll come up and tuck you in after the girls eat." Gemma assured him, her smile promising something more. Warrick responded with a dirty grin. He was really feeling better as he headed up to the nursery.

As expected, Lizzie sat in Gemma's rocker, deeply engrossed in a thick book. She didn't look up as Warrick entered and crossed over to the bassinet. He leaned over the infant and smiled outrageously.

Tiny Suzie lay on her side, her fists pulled up close to her face. One rested on her cheek, the other on the bed in front of her small mouth. Her dark brown hair had started to curl, seeming to spring up everywhere from her head. Warrick had the urge to reach down and smooth it down. He held back, not wanting to wake the baby.

He decided that after a day like today, he needed the softness of his newborn baby. He bent down and gently lifted her. "Com'ere Angel." He crooned as he brought her up against his chest.

"Huh? What? Huh?" Lizzie looked up from her book, startled that someone was in the room. "Oh! Hi, Uncle Rick."

"Hey Liz." Warrick greeted her, but had only eyes for his daughter. She felt good in his arms. He inhaled her baby scent, a mixture of baby powder and milk. "How are you doing?"

"I'm reading a book." Lizzie answered; Warrick looked over at the girl, finding her answer odd. She had her nose back to the book. He shook his head in disbelief, wondering if Sara had been like this as a child. He bet she had.

"Okay." Warrick agreed, carrying the baby over to the changing table to get a receiving blanket.

"Huh?" Lizzie was looking at him, shamefaced. "I gave you a stupid answer again, didn't I? You didn't ask me what I was doing."

"Well, it wasn't a stupid answer….not really." Warrick draped the blanket over the infant. "Not to someone who knows you."

"Huh?" She looked at him blankly. The conversation was making her head spin.

"I asked how you were, and you answered that you were reading a book." Warrick began, seeing her face turn red as she took it in. "To anyone else, it's a dumb answer, but not to me. I know that if you're reading a book, you're happy. So, by telling me that you were reading a book, you told me that you were doing well."

Lizzie smiled brightly, despite her embarrassment. Warrick had succeeded in making her smile, which was a hard feat. He didn't know how she had been before her ordeal, but ever since, she had been a serious and often gloomy child. He didn't blame her, it must be hard to know that your own mother had planned your death.

Lizzie pushed her purple-rimmed glasses up off the end of her nose and studied him. "You look like you've had a bad day."

"Yeah. I've had a few bad days, today just tipped it all off." Warrick agreed, turning his attention back to the baby who was now starting to awaken. Warrick wanted to see her open her eyes and look at him. She had his green eyes, but he could see Gemma in them.

"Is there ever a good day with your job Uncle Rick?"

"Not really a good day. We deal with the aftermath of the most evil parts of human nature." Warrick admitted. "But some are not as bad as others. Sometimes we can call it a good day if it was not a murder, but a death by natural causes. Sometime we consider it a good day if we catch the killer, stopping him or her from committing another crime."

"Is that what makes you stay there? Getting the bad guys put away?" Hazel eyes searched his face, waiting and looking for a truthful answer.

"Yeah." Warrick nodded. "It used to be the challenge of solving the case. It was a rush. Now, having a family, I don't think like that anymore. I just want to put them all away so they don't hurt someone's family."

"Thank you for being truthful. Not very many people will tell me the truth. I can tell that you just did." Lizzie nodded. "Did I ever thank you for saving me and Kelly?" She asked, growing ever serious. "I mean, you were hurt because of me. Aunt Gemma was hurt too. Nick told me about the other baby that she lost because she got hurt."

Warrick inhaled deeply. The senselessness of all of that still hurt . The girls' mother had simply gotten tired of having the responsibility of having children. Being a politician, she decided to get rid of them, get public sympathy and possible votes at the same time. She had hired thugs to kidnap and kill her young daughters. He couldn't imagine why the woman would want to do that to these two sweet children, or any child for that matter.

Warrick could see the pain simmering just below the surface of Lizzie. At fourteen, the teenager was too old to be a child and too young to be an adult. Her way of coping was to regress into herself. Warrick knew how that was. He'd been a sullen teen at times, acting out because he'd had no other way to express his unhappiness.

"I don't believe in lying to people. You're old enough to understand what our job is. Dealing with death and destruction is a way of life for us. You've experienced it first hand. You've seen the evilness of the world, but I think you've seen the good in it too."

"Yeah. Nick and Lucy are the good." Lizzie smiled, thinking of her soon to be parents. "So are you, and Aunt Gemma. All of you guys are. You gotta keep thinking that there are more good people than bad in the world. Right?"

"Exactly." Warrick smiled back. "That's why I come home to kiss my wife, and hug my daughters. They show me in every one of their smiles."

"Suzie doesn't' smile or hug yet." she reminded him.

"No, but she is innocence in its true form. She hasn't seen anything bad. She hasn't heard a harsh word. Hasn't learned to lie or believe one." Warrick explained, watching as the tiny eyes opened with a yawn. "I hold her and imagine what she's going to be like. Will she be full of smiles like Kelly? Will she have a speech impediment like Jessica? Will she have a sense of humor like you?"

"You think I'm funny?"

"Yeah, you've got a good mind. Quick wit." Warrick watched the baby drift back to sleep and put her back into the basinet. Turning to the young teen, he added. "When you focus, you're really bright. You'll go far."

"Lucy is a nurse and Nick is a CSI. Do you think they'll be disappointed if I don't go into some field involving Science?" Lizzie looked to him as if this had been bothering her for a long time.

"No, they won't be disappointed. They love you. They just want you to grow up and be happy. They'll support you in whatever you chose to do." Warrick answered without missing a beat. "Don't keep things like this to yourself. They'd love you to come to them with something like this. Chances are, Lucy already knows what you want to do and is just waiting for you to come to her."

"Thanks, Uncle Rick. You're a really cool uncle." Lizzie smiled, looking relieved. Warrick felt even better as he headed for the shower. Having a family to come home to did have it's bonuses.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Warrick woke up feeling rested and happy. Gemma and her 'magic hands' had relaxed him enough to fall into a deep sleep. He remembered his wife giving him a kiss and slipping off the bed, but he didn't remember anything else until the alarm went off. When he awoke, he found Gemma nursing the baby in the nursery.

He came over to her, giving her a kiss as he caressed the bare skin above the baby's mouth with one finger. "Did you sleep well?" Gemma questioned pointedly.

"You know I did." Warrick chuckled. "Where are the girls?"

"Downstairs. I think they're watching Lady and the Tramp." Gemma watched as her husband wandered off in search of his daughter. "I made you some coffee." She called after him.

"Dad!" Jessica stood up on the couch, stretching her arms out to her father who obligingly scooped her up. "You woke up! You gonna stay home wid me?"

"Yeah, Picture That! Your Grandpa Gil would love that! I just barely went back to work." Warrick nuzzled the squirming girl, inhaling the little girl scent. Shifting her to his hip, he headed off in search of the promised coffee. "Did you have fun today?"

"Mommy took us to the zoo and to the mall!" Jessica hung onto him like a monkey as he poured himself a cup of coffee. "I got Skoo Cwose!"

"School, huh?" Warrick plopped her down on the counter so he wouldn't spill his coffee. "You looking forward to that?"

"Uh-huh! Kewwy goes to school. She gonna be in Fwist grade."

"First grade?" Warrick repeated, wondering why Jessica's speech impediments came and went. Sometimes the r's would come out and the next they wouldn't. Before he could continue the conversation, the phone rang. Lizzie let out a jarring screech of "I got it!" The phone rang two more times, making Warrick wonder if she was going to actually answer the phone, when he heard her screech into the phone. "Hullo?"

"That's not how you 'posed to ansa the phone." Jessica informed him quietly. "She just yewwed in the phone."

"Guess we'll have to work on her phone skills." Warrick nodded, making a face at his daughter, who giggled in return.

"Uncle Rick!" Lizzie screeched, coming into the room with the phone. "Grandpa Gil wants to talk to you."

With a grimace, he took the phone. "Hey Boss."

"What the heck was that? She just broke my eardrums!" Gil grumbled as a greeting.

"Hey, talk to Nicky about that. She ain't my kid. My kid knows not to scream into the phone." Warrick countered, helping the said kid to the floor with one hand as he talked. Jessica scampered off after Lizzie to rejoin Kelly in the TV room. "So what's up?"

"I need you to come in."

"Gil, I just got up. I haven't spent more than a few moments with my family." Warrick grumbled.

"I know, but I need you. I called in Nick too. Cath, Sara and Greg are all out or unreachable. I wouldn't do this to you unless I really needed you." Gil admitted. "Why don't we make a deal? You come in without arguing and I'll overlook that you used the lab to do a personal DNA test."

With a heavy sigh, Warrick looked at his watch. "I'll be there in twenty minutes. Blackmail is a low blow Grissom."

Without waiting for a reply, he hung up, before heading back upstairs with his mug of coffee to tell his wife that he was leaving early once again. He was beginning to hate this schedule of his; he never seemed to see his family awake.

True to his word, Warrick arrived at the lab in twenty minutes. He and Nick shared a meaningful look of irritation and went to work on the case they had been called in for. Nick was now a family man too, Warrick could tell the same thoughts and feelings were running through his head too. It was beginning to be time to say goodbye to the nightshift for both of them.

The case before them consumed their thoughts quickly, but the notion remained in the back of his mind as he processed the last of the scene. He was missing their lives between working and sleeping, he barely knew what was going on. What did Gemma do all day while he slept? Did she reach for him at night while he was at work? Did Jessica still wake up with nightmares? Was Suzie going to grow up with only dim memories of her father?

He didn't like all the questions that pounded his head as he drove back to the lab. He needed to talk to Gemma about this, but he was seriously considering putting in a transfer to the dayshift. If need be, he'd put in a transfer to somewhere else that could offer him more time with his family. Pulling up at the lab, he stared at Gil's truck and decided he might let the guy know what he was feeling.

Inside, Gil was nowhere to be found. He did find Greg and Catherine in a heated discussion in the break room. They stopped arguing when he entered the fray, but stood glaring at one another from their respective corners.

"What's up?" He asked casually as if he hadn't noticed the tension.

Greg put his hands up to show his innocence. "I was only trying to help! She just went all whacko on me!"

"What did you do now Greg?" Warrick questioned tiredly, looking at the younger man the same way he looked at Jessica when she was up to no good.

"He's trying to fix me up with Al! Actually suggested that I ask him out dancing!" Catherine huffed. Warrick couldn't help but laugh.

"Greg, ya ever notice the guy walks with a cane? He can't dance!"

"She doesn't have to dance with him. Clubs are still fun whether you dance or not." Greg looked like a puppy that had been kicked. Warrick figured if the guy had had a tail, it would be between his legs.

"I'm sure Cath isn't so hard up on dates that she needs to take advice from you." Warrick tried to be diplomatic even though he thought the whole situation was funnier than anything he'd experienced in a long time. Looking at the woman, he some something sparkle in her eyes and realized that perhaps she was having trouble in the dating department. He decided to play dumb about this and added. "I mean, look at her Greggo, who in there right mind wouldn't jump at the chance to date her?"

Catherine blushed and gave him a smile that was a silent thank you. Greg had the decency to look even more ashamed of himself. Excusing himself, he scurried off to harass Hodges about something. "Thank you." Catherine whispered.

"I spoke the truth." Warrick shrugged. "No one in their right mind would pass up a chance to be with you."

"You did." Catherine replied quietly. Warrick turned his green gaze on her in shock, seeing the telltale signs of wounded pride.

"You were my boss, Cath." Warrick shrugged. "At the time, I valued my job too much to risk it. Believe me, it was a hard decision."

"You say that you valued your job as if in the past tense. Something change?" Now it was Catherine's turn to sense something deeper.

"I've just been reevaluating my life and I've come to the conclusion that I don't love the job like I used to. I don't want to be here like I did before. I want to be with my wife and daughters more."

"Gemma is a lucky woman." Catherine stated with a smile.

"No. I'm the lucky one. Gil asking me to do a favor for him was the best thing that ever happened to me." Warrick grinned. "Who would have ever thought that I'd ever get married and have kids?"

"I always knew you'd make a great father, I've seen you with Lindsey. You're a great man, so I suspected you'd make a great husband too." Catherine admitted. "I'm glad you found someone who makes you happy. You deserve to be happy."

"So do you Cath, and you will be someday soon." Warrick promised giving her a quick hug before heading off to the locker room.As he changed to go home, he decided that maybe Greg had the right idea. Perhaps Catherine just needed to be introduced to someone new. He signed out and went out to his SUV, trying to figure out someone worthy of Catherine. That was the rub. Not a single person he knew fit the category.

Although he did not personally know someone who would be right for her, he knew there had to be someone out there for her. He was just going to start looking. He would recruit Nick to help him look. Nick could be discrete and he was so love-struck that he'd be willing to find someone for Catherine. Warrick had come to find, that a man in love was eager to have everyone around him in love too.

Between the two of them, they'd find someone special for Cath. She hadn't done a very good job picking them out for herself, so they'd have to do it for her. He'd run it past Nick as soon as he saw him.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"Warrick?" Gemma stood next to her husband. "Warrick!"

"What?" Jolting out of his contemplative state, he turned to his wife. "Did you say something?"

"Are you expecting a phone call?" She questioned causing Warrick to frown and shake his head in denial. "Or did the phone do something to displease you?"

"What? No, I'm not expecting a call." Warrick looked at her as if she were crazy.

"Honey, you've been glaring at the phone for the last twenty minutes." Gemma informed him. "You don't look very happy about something. If it's not the phone, then what is it?"

"I was thinking about calling him." Warrick admitted, glancing at his watch he was surprised that that much time had passed. Gemma didn't have to ask who "him" was. She automatically knew whom he was talking about. He was talking about Sean Arthur.

"It's morning here, it should be afternoon there. This would be a good time to call. Do you know his number?"

"Yeah, he left it with Nick." Warrick frowned. The man had entrusted a lot with Nick. "He gave him a sample of his blood so that I could run the DNA tests. He gave Nick his address and number for incase I want to contact him."

"So, what do you want to say to him?"

"That I ran the test and we have a 25 match. This is what half siblings share. That's what Jess and Suzie should share."

"Twenty-five percent? Is that enough to prove that you are related?"

"Well, it could be a fluke, it happens. I'd like a little more proof before I start getting all worked up about it."

"What other proof could you have?"

"Well, if he had some sample of his father's DNA, hair or something. If not, he mentioned that he had a sister. If I could test her DNA and come up with a twenty-five percent match, we'd be as sure as we could ever be."

"So call him. It's worth a try right?" Gemma hugged her husband, running her hands up and down his back, trying to ease the tension that was running through him.

"He just seemed so determined and eager. When I went to talk with him, he was so depressed looking." Warrick frowned. "Why would this be so important to him?"

"He's the only one that can answer that, Honey. " Gemma placed a kiss in the hollow of his neck, trailing a finger over the furrow in his brow. "You've got to relax; you're letting too much get to you right now."

"You keep doing that and I'll find a way to take my mind off of things." Warrick teased, pulling her flush up against him. "How much longer do we have to wait?"

"Warrick Brown, Suzie is barely a week old. You've got less patience than Jessie at desert time!"

"That's cuz you're my favorite desert and I've been starved lately." Warrick chuckled, nuzzling her neck as his hand slipped lower to cup her rear.

"Starved!" Gemma pulled away, smacking his hands. "Is that what you call it? I'll show you how starved you can be!"

"Ah, Woman." Warrick called after her playfully as she clomped away in a mock huff. Warrick realized, as she disappeared, that she had done what she had aimed to do. She had lightened his mood. He wasn't feeling tense or grouchy anymore. He was actually smiling and relaxed as he picked up the phone. Pulling the paper that Nick had given him, he dialed the operator, ready to make his first overseas phone call.

The phone was answered on the second ring. Warrick was surprised to hear a young girl's voice call out loudly. "Hello?"

"Uh, is this the Arthur residence? I'm trying to call Sean Arthur." Warrick was suddenly so nervous his palms were sweating.

"Just a moment." The girl told him a second before she screeched loudly "Da! Someone wants to talk to you!" Warrick pulled his ear from the earpiece, wondering if bad phone manners were a teenage trait for all girls. He hoped his girls would have better manners.

A moment later, Sean Arthur's voice was on the phone. "This is Sean Arthur, May I help you?"

"Uh, this is Warrick Brown-"

"Warrick! You called!" Sean gushed, sounding shocked and surprised. "I guess this means you did the test?"

"Well, yeah. I wanted to apologize to you. It was very bad of me to be so rude to you. I realize I should have taken the time to hear you out at the very least."

"No, I should apologize to you." Sean countered. "It wasn't a good time to be throwing all this at you. You're wife had just had a baby, for cripes sake! I mean, you were knackered and I put all this on you. You had every right to be narked at me."

Warrick took a moment to try to figure out the things he was saying. "I know I acted angry, but…..I think I was more in shock than anything. You're right about it being bad timing, but when exactly would be a good time to come up to a stranger and declare him a brother? The fact that you're white was pretty damn shocking too!"

"You think I wasn't bloody well shocked to find that you were a black man?" Sean chuckled, good-naturedly. "I had met you're wife, a beautiful blonde, and saw you're daughter. When you approached me, I thought Nick was you. I never considered you being a black man."

Warrick thought back and saw, in his mind's eye, the shock and confusion that had been on Sean's face when they finally met. "You mean, in all your searching, you never….. Found out that I was black?"

"All I had was a name, a birthplace and a birth date." The man sighed. "Luckily, you have an out of the ordinary name. There were only two Warrick Brown's in the United States. The other was an elderly man in Florida."

"I somehow thought there might be more." Warrick felt a little disappointed. Somehow, it seemed right that he should be harder to find.

"Not that I found. So, are you going to tell me about this test you ran with my blood?" There was a silence that followed as Warrick debated what to tell the man. "Warrick? You ran the test, correct?"

"Yeah." Warrick choked out.

"Are you going to tell me about it? Perhaps if you explained the process to me, it will be easier. I don't know anything about your science."

"I had your blood ran for DNA. You know what that is, right?"

"It's what sets us apart from others." Sean answered hesitantly.

"Yeah, it's a…..chart of our genetic make up. Everyone has a different DNA, except for identical twins. You have parts that you share with family members. You have matching…..markers with your mother and with your father."

"And siblings?" Sean hedged, hoping Warrick would grow more comfortable in talking about it.

"Full blooded siblings share a fifty percent marker match. Those that share only one parent have a twenty-five percent match." Warrick continued to sound nervous and uncomfortable with the conversation. "I tested mine against yours."

"And did we have any matching?"

"Twenty-five percent matched." Warrick sighed. "But that isn't conclusive at all! There are sometimes fluke matches of completely unrelated people."

"So what must we do to find out for sure?" Sean felt disappointment rush through him. It felt to him as if Warrick was fighting the facts.

"Run more tests. If you could locate some of your father's DNA….., a hair maybe?" Warrick told him hopefully.

"I don't know about that. It's been a year since he died. We've cleaned out all his belongings." Sean did not sound very hopeful.

"What about your sister? If I was to run the DNA test against her blood and I have matches, then it's a pretty good indicator that we are, indeed, related." Now it was Sean's turn to bring them silence. Warrick waited for the man to reply. When there was nothing from him, he sighed. "It's not going to happen is it?"

"She's very upset about all of this. She has been very angry since my father's letters." Sean confessed. "She has been angry at me for searching for you. I don't think she'll be very cooperative about any of this."

"Well…." Warrick felt that he understood the woman's feelings completely. This whole thing was ripping all of their lives apart. He felt anger towards the dead man for leaving all this unsaid until his death. If he were alive, he would be able to answer all the questions they had. "There is not much to be done until we find out for sure."

"You'll stay in contact, won't you? I have email; we can…..continue to correspond at least!" Sean sounded desperate. Warrick wondered why the man was so anxious for him to be his brother. Did he feel incomplete, as Warrick had all his life? Knowing that there were people out there in the world that shared the same blood, but had no idea about you.

"Yeah, I'd like that, Sean." He told the man, and was surprised at how much he really did mean it.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"So, you called him, huh?" Nick repeated for at least the fifth time since he'd arrived in the locker room. Warrick had already changed and was sitting on the bench, waiting for Nick, who was running late. Warrick guessed that he was late because he'd been busy arguing with Lucy.

"Yes, Nick. I did." Warrick agreed, knowing that his pal wanted him to elaborate but, deciding to make his play sweat, he played dumb. He chose not to add any more to his answer and instead, sat there looking as innocently dense as possible.

Nick glared at the man, thinking that sometimes it could be impossibly hard to pry information out of a stubborn man. Warrick was known as a man of few words, but this was ridiculous. With a heavy sigh, Nick gave up. "Are you going to tell me or what?"

"Tell you what?" Warrick batted his eyes at him, trying to look innocent. It earned him a sharp jab in the arm by a Texas-sized fist. "Hey now! Gemma doesn't like her merchandise damaged! Take it easy on the abuse!"

"Will you just tell me what happened between you and Sean when you called him?" Nick demanded as he finally opened his locker. Warrick rubbed his arm, giving him a pitifully sad look. "Quit being a child and just tell me before Gil comes in here and drags us off to some crime scene."

"I don't know. We just talked some. I think he has a kid. Some young girl answered the phone, called him Da." Warrick shrugged. "What I do know is that he's got some weird words he uses. I think I need to find a dictionary of the British language to make sure he didn't insult me. He said something about me being knacked or knackered. I'm not sure what he meant by that, but it doesn't sound too flattering."

"So, you have a niece." Nick nodded, grateful for whatever bit of information Warrick was willing to share. "That's pretty cool. You've got a real family."

"I have a real family right here. I don't have to go searching for anyone else." Warrick snorted.

"I wasn't meaning Gemma. I was referring to you having a brother, a niece." Nick explained, sounding a little exasperated. "There might be more than that."

"I wasn't referring to Gemma either." Warrick looked pointedly at his friend. "I already have a brother. He's giving me two nieces as soon as he gets hitched. This, by the way is coming this way rather soon."

Nick blushed with embarrassment as he realized what Warrick was saying and whom he was referring. "War-rick."

"I'm serious Nicky. You're the best brother a guy could ever want." Warrick looked down at the floor, not able to look at Nick at the moment. This was hard for him. It just wasn't like him to open up. Warrick wasn't one to talk of emotions, but he couldn't help but tell Nick what he was thinking. "I don't need blood relatives when I have you."

"Aww." Nick was speechless, feeling tightness in his chest as the words took hold. He didn't know whether to cry, hug him or run for the hills. Then, to lighten the mood he added with a snigger. "If married life makes you this sappy, what the hell is it gonna do to me?"

Nick's words comforted him as well as put him at ease. It also shocked the hell out of him. Warrick burst out laughing. Having emotional conversations with your best friend just wasn't how a guy wanted to spend his time. "You're already light-years ahead of me in that department!"

"If you girls are done having your giggle-fest, we have assignments to be given out." Catherine was suddenly at the doorway. Although her words sounded harsh, the sparkle in her eyes belied her tone. She loved to see 'her guys' so relaxed and happy. There was a time that she wondered if either would be like that again.

Sobering, Warrick stood up to follow. He was actually grateful that someone was ending this conversation before they both ended up sobbing and hugging. "Yeah, yeah. I'm coming."

Slamming his locker shut and yanking his jacket on, Nick jogged to catch up with Catherine. "Hey Cath, don't you think that married life has changed Rick?"

Catherine broke stride, pausing to look Warrick over as she deliberated her words. "Yes. He's changed."

"He's gotten mushy, right?" Nick maintained ignoring the threatening glares he was receiving from his buddy.

"Mushy?" Catherine frowned, looking from one man to the other. Nick looked her straight in the eye, waiting for her to answer. Warrick was busy glowering at the shorter man, not liking the description. "I think he's grown up a lot since he got married." Catherine disagreed. "But I wouldn't say it's made him mushy. He was mushy before, he was just too embarrassed to admit it."

Green eyes full of skepticism and astonishment turned on Catherine. Catherine shrugged. "It's the truth Warrick. You've always been so tenderhearted underneath that cool, suave exterior. You used to put on a good front, but you were a ball of mush. I could see it all the time. Gemma's just taught you that it's nothing to be ashamed of."

"God, I hope he partners me with Sara." Warrick muttered to himself as he stalked away from the pair. Nick shared a grin with Catherine as they hurried after him.

As luck would have it, Gil partnered Warrick with Sara and Greg for the night. They had a big case, but it was a simple case of murder-suicide. Still it took most of the night to work the scene. After gathering evidence at the scene, the three headed back to the lab at dawn.

It was going to be an easy case for a change and they'd actually get out of the lab at their scheduled time. Greg hurried ahead with their trace evidence, set on terrorizing Hodges while the man ran the required tests. As of late, terrorizing the irritable lab tech had become his favorite hobby and he spent a lot of time thinking up new ways to get the man's goat.

Sara and Warrick followed him in a little slower, stopping to discuss the case with the investigating detectives before making their way back to the lab to finish up with the paperwork. As soon as Warrick entered the building, Judy flagged him down. "Gemma's been here for nearly an hour. She seems really upset by something. She's in the break room."

A quick glance at his watch told Warrick that it wasn't even seven in the morning. There had to be something wrong if Gemma had dragged the girls out this early in the morning. Gemma and the girls she be snuggly tucked in their beds Worry rushed through him, and he hurried to the break room.

Sara followed, immediately taking the baby and leading Jessica away with promises of finding a computer to play on. At times, it was amazing to see Sara with the girls. She claimed she wasn't good with kids, but she definitely had a connection with them. Warrick shot her a grateful look as he enveloped his pale shaking wife into his embrace. "Baby? What's wrong?"

"Jessica had her kindergarten physical and shots yesterday afternoon." Gemma pressed her face into his chest, as if soaking in his warmth.

"Shots?" Warrick sighed in relief, thinking she was just overreacting. There were times that Gemma seemed to have a worse time of Jessica getting hurt than Jessica did. He had wondered where they were when he had awoken. He had had to drop off paperwork at the courthouse so he had left early, missing their return. "She'll be cranky, but she'll tough it out."

"That's not it. The doctor is concerned about her speech development. He wants her to see a specialist." Gemma told him with a shaky voice. "He says she should be improving on her own by now."

"Did he say what he thinks is wrong? Is it her hearing? You know Gil had problems with his hearing, his mother is deaf…."

"He said her hearing is fine." Gemma cut him off before he could continue. "Warrick, I'm scared. I don't like the sound of it…..a specialist? What if there is something seriously wrong?"

"There isn't a thing wrong with her!" Warrick snapped. "Her speech is a little off, that's it. There is nothing wrong with her that we can't fix."

"Warrick? Gemma? What's going on?" Gil came into the room seeing them both looking upset, he grew concerned. He'd seen Sara heading down the hall with the girls and wanted to know what was up. Gemma didn't bring the girls to the lab unless it was important. She made a point not to call them at work. She knew that their work was important and required their full attention. "Is there something the matter?"

"Jessica's doctor wants her to go to a specialist about her speech. He set her up with an appointment with a speech-language pathologist." Gemma told her father and husband at the same time. She was trying to stay calm, but her big blue eyes were filled with unshed tears. "He said she would recommend a surgeon if need be."

"Surgeon!" Warrick repeated. He felt himself growing cold with shock and dread. "When is this appointment? I want to talk with this doctor!"

"Tomorrow at nine." Gemma sniffed back a sob. "I'm frightened. What if something's wrong with my baby?"

"There's nothing wrong with her." Warrick declared, refusing to let the fear take over. He would not allow something to be wrong with his little girl. "It's just a little speech impediment. She'll outgrow it. We've been working on it with her on her pronunciation. We'll just have to work with her more."

"Perhaps you should wait and hear what this pathologist says before you make your own resolution?" Gil advised calmly. "Both of you go to the appointment, listen and decide after they tell you what they prescribe."

"We'll go, but only to hear them agree with me that there is nothing wrong with her." Warrick agreed defiantly adding, "They'll only just tell us exactly what we already know. There is nothing wrong with Jessica Nothing that we can't handle."

"Go to the appointment with open ears Warrick." Gil advised, his voice full of conviction. Lightening his pitch to his fatherly tone, he added. "We all know that Jessica is a sweet and bright child, let's just make sure she's healthy too."

"I'll heed your advice Gil." Warrick reluctantly consented. "But just so everyone knows that I'm against this." Unable to stand still, he released his wife and hurried out of the room, intent on find where Sara had taken his daughters.

Seeing that she still needed to be comforted, Gil took over hugging Gemma. "You know he's just being stubborn. He'll calm down after he works it all out in his head. You're doing the right thing by taking her to this specialist."

"Thank you for being here Dad. I was beginning to think that we'd have our first major fight, right here in the middle of the lab." Gemma gave him a hard squeeze. "He was so insistent that nothing was wrong. I'm glad you were here to convince him that it was necessary."

"I wasn't there for you while you were growing up." Gil shrugged. "But I'm trying to be a good father to you now."

"You are a good father and a great grandfather. Jess adores you." Gemma gave him a kiss on his furry cheek. "You did the best you could for me while I was growing up. I just really appreciate how great a father you've been to Warrick too."

"You've both made it easy for me." Gil shrugged with an embarrassed smile.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Warrick was ready for battle as they sat in the little office. Jessica had been with the doctor and now she was off in a playroom so the doctor could discuss her case with them. "Doctor, what is the deal? It's not like we haven't worked with Jessica on this. We do not baby talk with her. We've tried to speak correctly."

"Mr. and Mrs. Brown, What have you been told about Jessica's speech impediment?" Dr. Blankenship looked at the nervous couple sitting across from him.

"The pediatrician said that her speech progress was worrying him. He sent us to Dr. Fuller, who said we would need a surgeon and sent us to you. We have been told SQUAT." Warrick finished the last part rather loudly, causing his wife to reach over and take his hand in an effort to calm him.

"I am sorry about that. Obviously, the lack of communication has caused you to worry needlessly. Yes, Jessica's impediment requires a surgical procedure, but no, it's not something as terrible as what you've been thinking." The doctor rose to come around the desk. Propping himself on the edge of the desk in a casual stance, he continued. "Jessica suffers from Ankyloglossia."

"What is that?" Gemma questioned. "It sounds rather ominous."

"Yes, the scientific word usually makes it sound rather frightening. It's more commonly known as Tongue-tied." Dr. Blankenship agreed. "It simply means that her lingual frenulum, the fold of tissue that attaches the tongue to the bottom of the mouth, is too long. Jessica's connects to nearly the tip of her tongue. This is limiting the tongues movements, causing her speech problems. Which is why it's referred to as Tongue Tied."

"Tongue-tied?" Warrick grunted. "That's not a real thing, is it? It's just a phrase we use to mean we can't think of the right word or something like that. "

"Oh, Mr. Brown, It most certainly is a real condition. It is not a serious condition and it's not uncommon. One out of twenty-four babies are born with Ankyloglossia." Dr. Blankenship offered.

"If it's so common and all these babies are born with it, why haven't we heard of it? Jessica isn't a baby; she's nearly six years old." Warrick demanded to know. Gemma reached over, touching him on the knee to soothe him.

Dr. Blankenship frowned. "Someone should have pointed it out along the way. Although, I can see by her records that she hasn't been to the doctor regularly until the last couple of years."

"Her biological father wasn't too keen on going to the doctor. He prevented me from taking her in unless she was majorly ill. Since Jess was a healthy baby, she never got sick enough to require a doctor." Gemma explained bluntly. "When I married Warrick, things changed. But, why haven't I heard of other children with this problem?"

"For the simple fact that most children out grow it, or at least, their tongues out grow it." The doctor explained calmly. "Most do not even realize their child has it."

"Jessica didn't outgrow this naturally and that's what the problem is?" Gemma concluded quietly. "Is there a cure?"

"Yes, some children don't over come this and they require Frenulectomy. It's a minor surgical procedure." The doctor picked up a folder from atop his desk and pulled out a sheet of photos of a tongue. "The patient is given a minor sedative while we go in and clip back the tissue. We then insert a few dissolvable stitches. The procedure takes about fifteen minutes."

"And afterward? Are there any side effects?" Warrick questioned, calmer now that the seriousness of it had been explained.

"Possible minor bleeding. Slight pain, but nothing else. It's an office procedure. She doesn't have to be admitted into the hospital." Taking off his glasses, Dr. Blankenship placed them and the photos on his desk. "There have never really been any problems with this procedure. It's been said that midwives used to do the procedure on the newborns at birth, with a sharp fingernail, I might add."

Grimacing at that thought, Gemma had one more question. "That's it. That's all she needs to correct her speech?"

"Well, it's not a miracle cure. After the procedure, Jessica will need speech therapy sessions. She will need to be retrained on how to use her tongue to speak. Truthfully, her speech will worsen slightly before it improves. Her tongue will be like a foreign object in her mouth."

"But, she'll be able to speak normally?" Gemma questioned, unbelieving that it could be so simple.

"After the procedure and with the speech therapy. She'll be making public speeches in no time."

Warrick carried Jessica in one arm as they walked out of the medical building. Gemma leaned heavily on the other arm. She seemed exhausted now that the initial stress was over. As they got into the car, he pulled out his phone and turned it back on. The phone immediately lit up with messages. With a smile, he switched on the speakerphone and played the first message.

"Warrick? This is Gil,…..I was just wondering what the doctor said about Jessica. Please, call me or have Gemma call me as soon as you can."

"Hey Warrick. It's Sara. I'd like to know what the doctor said about Jess. Call me, anytime. You know I don't sleep anyway."

"You really need to get your wife a cell phone. That way I wouldn't have to be calling you to get to talk with her." Hodges' dry humored message ended as abruptly as it had begun.

"Hello,….Warrick? This is Sean…..Arthur. Are you finished with the doctor? I think I got the time change right. Well, anyway, I was hoping you'd share the gen about Jessica."

"Hey!" Nicks voice came loudly out of the speaker. "We're all waiting to hear what's going on. None of us is doing any sleeping, so we are all meeting up at your place to wait for you. We figure it'll save you a lot of time and energy if you tell us all at once. If you don't like that idea, well…. tough, serves you right for giving me a key to your house."

Gemma was smiling as the final message ended. "Grams didn't know she was going to be babysitting the entire night shift of CSI's when she agreed to watch Suzie for us."

"I bet you she did. I bet she has the house all decked out in food to feed that mob." Warrick disagreed as he started the car. "She could give Lucy a run for her money on the all-knowing business."

"You have a fabulous family Warrick Brown." Gemma sighed, leaning back in the seat.

"We have a fabulous family Gemma Brown." Warrick countered, reaching over to run his hand along her cheek.

"They're taking time from sleeping, to sit, waiting to hear about Jessica. They are amazing." Gemma leaned into his caress for a moment before pushing his hand away. "Hey, put both hands on the wheel! As much as I adore your family, I don't want them raising our daughter."

"I ain't planning on crashing." Warrick chuckled as he turned his full attention on the road. "But….maybe we should look into making out a will, in case something like that should happen for real. I need to make sure that you're provided for if something should happen to me."

"I don't want to even think about that." Gemma shook her head.

"Maybe not today, but soon." Warrick agreed with a nod.

As Nick had promised, everyone had gathered at their house. As Warrick had foreseen, Grams was in her element, feeding and catering to the ragtag bunch. As usual, Nick and Lucy were off in a corner, arguing heatedly about something. Every time he saw them going at it, Warrick could not help but smile. Nick was so easy going; it was amazing to see him riled.

It didn't take long for everyone to gather around Warrick and Gemma as they entered the house. They didn't get a chance to say hello before they were commanded to tell everything they knew. After recapping the whole of it, Warrick stood back and tried to listen as everyone began to talk at once.

"What the hell is Tongue-tied?" Catherine questioned loudly. At that, everyone looked to Grissom who looked shocked.

"How would I know? As far as I know, bugs do not get tongue-tied. I'm the bug man, remember?" He defended himself, turning to Al. "Ask the doctor."

"Of course, I've heard of Ankyloglossia." Doc Robbins shrugged. "But it's usually referred to as a dental procedure or a procedure for newborns."

"Dental?" Warrick demanded. "What the f-"

"Warrick." Gemma stopped him with the simple use of his name. "Doc? Why would it be a dental procedure?"

"The lack of mobility of the tongue can make it difficult to clean your teeth." Al shrugged. "I'll do a little more research about it. What I can suggest right now, is for you to look into getting a second opinion."

Warrick excused himself, going into the den to email Sean instead of calling him. With a houseful of guests, he didn't want to try to talk to Sean. He wrote a quick note to explain to him the newest information and promised to call him after the house had emptied. Even though he could not bring himself to call him brother, he was beginning to think of the man in that way. It was actually a good feeling.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"Sean? I'm assuming you have a daughter. The young lady that answered the phone last time I called?" Warrick questioned. It had taken a while but everyone had finally left in order to nap before his or her next shift. Warrick knew he should be sleeping too, but he knew he wouldn't if he tried.

"I have three daughters." Sean told him, sounding surprised at Warrick's curiosity.

"You're married then?" There was so much he didn't know, if this man was his brother, he felt he should know these things.

"My wife died several years back." Sean admitted, his voice sounding stilted and pained. "Cancer."

"I'm sorry." Warrick felt like an ass, he didn't know what to say to that. What did one say that wasn't patronizing? He decided changing the subject might be his best bet. "How old are your children?"

"Lonnetta, the one that you spoke with is fifteen. Patricia is twelve and my youngest, Julianna, is nine." Sean automatically sounded proud. "They are all really interested in learning about you. Could you possibly email some pictures of your family? That way they can put faces to the names?"

"Yeah, I can do that." Warrick agreed eagerly. "And you'll do the same? I'd like to see what you're daughters look like. I truthfully never considered the fact that you could have children. What about your sister? Does she have children?"

"She's married and has two boys. They're ten and seven."

"Have you spoken with her about me yet?" Warrick questioned. He was met with a long pause. It was so quiet that he thought they'd suddenly lost connection. "Sean? You still there?"

"She's not speaking to me about you. She's not speaking with me about anything right now. After the reading of the will and our letters, she gave me an ultimatum; I could have her for a sister or you for a brother." Sean admitted, his voice rough with emotion.

"And you chose me over your sister?" Warrick was beyond shocked. Besides Grams and Gemma, no one had ever put him before others without wanting something in return. His old suspicions raised their ugly heads. "Why?"

"My little sister is a stubborn woman. It's a family trait actually." Sean gave a quiet snort. "I kind of decided that I wanted to find you, get to know you and she'd most likely come around eventually."

"So…..she doesn't know about me?" Warrick let out a rough laugh, thinking that the woman was going to be in for a shock when she finds out about him. "What's she like? Does she look like you?"

"She's quite pretty, which, I'm not." Sean gave a derisive chuckle. "Stubborn, smart, dedicated. She'll come around. I think she'll enjoy having a baby brother eventually."

"You're both older than me?" Warrick questioned, realizing that he really didn't know anything about his so-called siblings.

"Yes, I was nine when you were born, that made Lillian six or seven. You are definitely the baby of the family."

Warrick couldn't handle taking in any more new information. When learning about your 'secret' identity, a little went a long way, he decided, changing the subject. "Have any of your children ever had to have….an operation of any sort?"

"Lonnie had her tonsils out. Patti has had numerous broken bones." Sean replied easily. "Are you concerned about this procedure they want to have?"

"Scared shitless, if you'll excuse my language." Warrick admitted with a little sigh.

"I admit, I've never heard of this tongue tie thing." Sean took a moment to move his tongue around in his mouth, intentionally paying attention to the flap under his tongue. "I have never really paid much attention to my tongue unless I've burnt or bitten it."

Warrick laughed. "None of us have, but now it's quite the conversation piece for us." Everyone had become interested in the movements of their tongues. It had been quite comical to see everyone wallowing theirs tongues around in his or her mouths.

Greg had taken it upon himself to examine everyone's tongue himself. He had gone around the room, ordering people to stick their tongues out and move it this way or that. After a snide remark from David Hodges, Greg had spitefully tried to yank the sharp tongue out of the man's mouth. A scuffle had ensued until Archie and Sara had separated the pair. Sara had had to lead the young man out of the room by his ear. He'd complained later about the loss of feeling in his right ear for the next hour.

"Are you more frightened about the procedure or the idea of not doing it?" Sean's question sent the images away.

"She's only five." Warrick admitted. "I never thought her speech was that bad. I know she has a problem, but most kids just outgrow it with a little work, right?"

"It is rather hard to understand her. I had trouble getting directions from her when I was trying to get her to you. From what she told me, I thought you caused crime scenes. She said that you instigated them."

"I instigated the scenes, huh?" Warrick chuckled.

"I admit it made me very curious about careers in America." Sean joined him with a soft laugh of his own. "What does Gemma say?"

"She's nervous about it, but she's nervous about leaving Jess with a speech impediment. She's looking for me for the answers. I just don't know what the answers are."

"Since I've never even heard of it, I couldn't begin to give you an opinion, much less advice." Sean apologized.

"Hey, big brothers are supposed to be eager to give advice." Warrick quipped, causing Sean to chuckle.

"I'm new at this. How about I just beat up a neighborhood bully or something?" Sean offered gallantly.

"I'll keep that in mind." Warrick agreed with another laugh but grew serious as he added. "I could have used you a year ago."

"Why?" Sean could hear something in Warrick's voice that he couldn't quite describe but knew it wasn't good.

"A case we were working on got a little too close to home." Warrick muttered, swallowing roughly. He'd never told anyone about it and he didn't know how to go about it. "The woman wanted to get us to stop the investigation, so she hired a man to attack Gemma as a message to me."

"Oh! I realize that she is okay, but….did he hurt her?"

Sean felt a sense of dread run through him. Here was the reason for the weird feeling he was getting from Warrick.

"Yes. She was pregnant at the time. She lost the baby." Warrick wheezed painfully.

"Bleedin' Bastards!" Sean spat out. "Point them out. I'll annihilate the filthy Wankers!"

"Thanks for the offer, but we got them all. They're in prison." Warrick relaxed, he felt better having told Sean about it.

"That's good to hear." Sean accepted reluctantly, thinking of the Gemma he'd met. Harming the pretty blond and simply going to prison didn't seem harsh enough.

"That very same case was how Nick and Lucy met." Warrick added. "And how they got their girls. You haven't met the girls or Lucy yet, but their part of my family. If you plan to stick around, you'll hear a lot about them."

"I'm sticking around as long as you'll let me." Sean vowed. "These people you work with….they seem to be a good bunch of people, from what I've seen. You people stick together like a real family. Better then most blood related people I know."

"Do you think your sister will come around to speaking again?" Warrick felt bad, for somehow being the cause of friction between the siblings, even though he hadn't been a part of any of it.

"Right now, she's mad at Da. She's mad at me for not being mad at Da." Sean explained quietly. "I find it hard to remain angry for something that happened nearly forty years ago. Besides, everyone that was actually involved is no longer alive." He paused quietly before adding. "I hope, for my daughters' sake, that she comes around. They need a woman in their lives. Your wife is a little far away to fill in that place for them."

"But she'll try, trust me." Warrick grinned, knowing his wife as he did. "She'll want to meet them."

"The girls will be having Holiday soon. Would it be inappropriate if we came to visit then?" Sean questioned nervously, hoping that he wasn't pushing too hard. Warrick hadn't quite accepted the fact that they were most likely related. He seemed willing enough to offer friendship, but not much more.

"Sure, that sounds like a great idea. Let me know when and I'll try to swing a couple of days off to hang out with you." Warrick agreed eagerly. "We can have a party. You can meet the rest of my friends, and my Grams."

"Your Grams?"

"My grandmother. She's eager to meet with you." Warrick educated him. "Nick and Lucy are getting married in two weeks. I guess that'd be too soon for you to come?"

"I'll have to look into it. I'd like to meet your grandmum." Sean agreed, eager to be included in anything that Warrick was willing to share. "I can bring the letters from my father. Perhaps, with your detective mind, you can learn things that I haven't been able to."

"That sounds good." Warrick tried to fight back a loud yawn, but failed.

"Sounds like I should let you go, Little Brother." Sean smiled as he used the term, wondering how Warrick would react.

"Yeah, I should get some sleep before shift." Warrick agreed, trying to ignore the nervous quickening him his pulse. He wasn't ready for family terminology, but he wasn't going to hurt the man by denying it. "Good Night Sean."

"churar." Sean said before the line clicked dead. Warrick frowned into the phone, mentally adding the word to his growing list of British words to find the meaning of.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

A week of pulling doubles and triples had Warrick dog tired and cranky. All he did was sleep and work, it seemed. No one wanted to collaborate with him, while he was in this state. He was sick of it. He wanted to be with his family.

"Warrick? Are you okay?" Nick finally questioned, catching his cranky friend alone as they arrived for another round of cases.

"No. I'm beginning to hate this job. I used to get up and come to work, looking forward to the challenges they would throw at me. Now, I don't even want to come here. I want to be with my family."

"You are thinking about quitting? Finding another line of work?" Nick questioned as they made their way into the building.

"No. I'm a CSI, it's in my blood. I can handle an occasional double or triple, as we do. It's the fact that, on a normal day, I hardly see my family. I don't want to work the nightshift anymore. I've put it off as long as I can. I've been thinking about it for a while. I've just had all I can take. I'm going to hate to leave the team, but I'm going to see Gil about a transfer to days." Warrick confessed behind the privacy of the elevator doors.

"What if they don't honor the request? Then what?" Nick pondered, hating the idea of losing his best friend as a partner.

"Gemma and I discussed it. If they don't transfer me to days, then I start looking for a new job outside of Vegas."

"Leave Vegas?" Nick gasped. "But, you are Vegas. Born and bred, you've always said."

"Naw, I'm not Vegas. I can be wherever my family is. As long as I've got those three females, I can go anywhere."

"Where would you go?"

"Well, I've got contacts just about everywhere, because of the conventions I've been to. I've had offers from L.A. I won't consider that one; I don't want Gemma and Jess to go back there. They don't need to be around those people again. In my book, the farther we get from Tony's family, the better." Warrick sighed a tired sigh as they made there way into the locker room. It seemed like they had just been there a moment before.

"You still worried about them?" Nick was suddenly concerned. He, in truth, had forgotten all about them. Obviously, Warrick hadn't."

"Nicky, they're the mob. I have the heir's only living child. You think I don't worry about them coming for her? I'm constantly looking over my shoulder. Tony may be dead, and the family in jail, but they won't stay that way. It doesn't mean that their friends and enemies won't be coming for her." Warrick explained as they changed. "Why do you think I'm always packing heat? I take my daughter to the freakin' park, and I have my hand on my gun the whole time."

"I never realized….."Nick felt guilty for not paying close enough attention. He realized that Warrick had every right to be nervous. The family had nearly succeeded in killing Warrick as they tried to get back Jessica back. There was no doubt that Gemma would have been next if they had accomplished that feat.

The two friends finished up and slowly made their way to meet up with the others.

"So, when are you telling Gris?" Nick questioned out of the corner of his mouth as they entered the room where the others had already gathered.

"I think I'll do it today, at the end of shift." Warrick decided, going over to help himself to a cup of coffee.

"Grissom." Warrick said the one word and Gil felt apprehension run over him like cold water on a hot day. He knew something was up. Since he'd just talked to Gemma, he figured that nothing was wrong with her or the girls. Warrick rarely called him Grissom. It was usually Gil or Gris, sometimes when he was feeling playful, Warrick would even call him Dad or Pops. Although he pretended otherwise, and would never admit it, Gil liked it when Warrick called him Dad.

"What's the matter Warrick?" Gil asked, afraid he knew what was coming. He had seen the expression on Warrick's face too many times lately. Warrick Brown had stopped loving his job.

"I'd like to talk with you." Warrick came into the office, shutting the door behind him. "Off the record."

"It's that time….isn't it." Gil questioned with a sigh. His suspicions the younger man's actions confirmed his suspicions.

"I can't keep doing this, Gil. It's nothing against you, but my family is living life without me. Jess is starting school tomorrow. Since we're pulling another double, I won't be able to see her go to the first day. She's having her procedure the following week…I'll be there for that, but it'll screw up my sleeping schedule."

"You've thought this out, and talked to Gemma?" Gil questioned, trying to draw out the conversation.

"I want to see my family, Grissom." Warrick found it hard to breathe as he said this. "Jessica's going to be at school. I'll be sleeping when she's awake. I'm working while she's asleep. Suzie won't even know who I am."

"So…..you're here to ask me to put a word in for you of the Supervisor position on days." Gil concluded. "I would talk to Ecklie about it for you, but…..Catherine is applying for the position once again. I'll have to remain on the fence for this one."

"Supervisor?" Warrick gasped, in shock. "I was just going to discuss getting transferred to days. I would never consider going up against Cath. I'll be happy to work days for her." Warrick shook his head. "I wasn't aiming to get a promotion. I just want to work so I can see my family. I want to actually sleep with my wife in my arms at night."

"Warrick." Gil growled, frowning at the other man. "Don't go there. Your wife happens to be my daughter."

Warrick burst out laughing. "Yeah, but you hooked us up. You can't possible say you didn't consider us getting together when you asked me to take her on the run."

"I'll admit that I wanted her to find someone like you. You're a good man, and I knew you'd always treat a woman right." Gil acknowledged reluctantly. "I just didn't consider you…..actually getting involved with my child……getting her pregnant."

Once again, Warrick let out a loud laugh. "That is usually part of marriage, Gil. Besides, it's not as if she was a virgin or anything. She had a kid already."

"Warrick!" Gil groaned out a pained warning. "I'm serious. Let's not go into this. My main concern was Gemma's safety."

"Gil…..I did right by Gemma. I've told you this before. I did nothing, nothing that would get her pregnant. It wasn't until you sent me to fetch her from Oklahoma…..after I'd proposed. I still didn't get her pregnant until after we were married. I wouldn't dishonor her like that. I love her."

"I know you do. You're a good man. The best husband I could ever wish for her." Gil conceded. "You've been a good father from the very first. You're a much better father than I could have ever wished to be."

Warrick felt a lump growing in his throat as Gil gave him the utmost compliment. "How'd we get on this subject?" He questioned to try to change the atmosphere of the room. "I was merely here to tell you that I'm putting in for a transfer to days and explain that it has nothing to do with you. Instead, we end up talking about my sex life with your daughter."

"Warrick!" Gil snarled, no longer warning him.

"Yeah Dad?" Warrick grinned, his expression bordering on insolence and playfulness.

"Shut the hell up."

TBC…….


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"What's going on Nicky?" Warrick questioned, spotting Nick lying on the break room couch. Their shift had ended earlier and there weren't any cases that required anyone to stay later.

"Lucy and I had a fight-"

"That's nothing new." Warrick interrupted with a teasing chortle.

"Yeah, well, this time she kicked me out." Nick bemoaned with a heavy sigh.

"Nicky, you're getting married in two days!" Warrick shook his head in disbelief. "How can you two manage to fight so much?"

"I don't know. We just seem to always find something to fight about." Nick complained. "I'm beginning to wonder if we should even get married."

"You guys are in love. Except for the fighting, you guys are perfect for one another." Warrick offered out his hand. "Come on, you can't sleep here. Day shift will just sit on you."

"You think Gemma will have a problem with me coming home with you?" Nick questioned, accepting the hand up.

"Naw, she'll be asleep when we get there. Besides, she's not one to take sides between the two of you." Warrick slung an arm around his pal as they began to head towards the exit.

"But…taking me in, isn't that sort or choosing sides?"

"Naw man, that's just being family." Warrick clucked. "We're an odd bunch, but we're family."

"Rick? Did you ever get nervous about marrying Gemma?" Nick's question was so quiet that Warrick almost missed it.

"Come on Nick; let's go catch some breakfast at the café before we head home. Sounds like you need a heart to heart." Warrick opened his truck, pushing the unlock button. "Get in, I'll drive."

Once firmly ensconced in a quiet booth with coffee and menus before them, Warrick decided to address Nick's question. "I made my mistakes well before I asked Gemma to marry me. When I sent her away from the hospital, that was my mistake. I was frightened by the raging emotions she created in me."

"So, you're saying, that was when you had cold feet? Before you got engaged?" Nick played with his coffee instead of drinking it.

"Exactly! I'd never experienced the things that I was experiencing with Gemma, so I sent her away. I was miserable without her. She was miserable without me." Warrick flushed as he admitted this. "She changed my whole world and the way I looked at it. I wouldn't trade her for anything in the world. Being with her……it's too wonderful for words. I could describe it to you for anything."

"But, you guys don't fight. That's all Lucy and I do." Nick shook his head. "I don't think it's the same thing."

"Yeah it is Bro." Warrick nodded sagely. "I've always argued with anyone and everyone. Heck, look at Sara and me….. You and me…..It's just part of me. Gemma calms me. She soothes me." Warrick gave him a smile that seemed to use his entire body. "She's my perfect fit."

"So, you're saying because Lucy fights with me, it's a good thing?"

"Yeah. You're the calm one; you're the one that soothes. Lucy brings out the spunk in you. I knew it was in you, but it just wasn't something that raised its head very often. Lucy brings it out in you. It's a good thing. Proves that she is your perfect fit." Warrick ended with a shrug, before motioning the waitress over.

"I don't understand." Nick admitted with a shake of his head. "How is it that she's perfect for me by making me miserable?"

The waitress caused the discussion to pause as she came over to take their orders. As she walked away, Warrick turned his attention back to the conversation. "She ain't making you miserable, you are! Stop fighting it. In our relationship, it was Gemma that fought it at first, because she'd been burned before, she was frightened of getting hurt again. Then she gave in to it, and I got frightened. I ran her away." Warrick finished the last of his coffee before adding. "Nicky, you're doing the fighting and running. Stop, think about it and just let it all go. You'll find it."

"Find what?"

"It." Warrick said simply. "You'll know it when you find it."

"Nick, for the last time, the answer is No!" Warrick snarled. Nick had been on him about it since Warrick had convinced him to go ahead with the wedding. Now that it was the eve of his wedding, Nick had taken to whining and wheedling as much as possible. "You know I do not sing in public!"

"Come on Warrick, I really want this. Lucy wants this. Even Gemma wants this. If you won't sing for me on my wedding day, just pretend you are singing for your wife!"

"I do sing for my wife, just not in public." Warrick said stubbornly.

"Come on Rick! Man, I never ask anything like this….just this once! I swear I'll name my firstborn after you!"

"Warrick Stokes? Doesn't really have a ring to it." Warrick quipped.

"How about Edward Stokes? We could call him Eddie. Or maybe Ricky Stokes?" Nick pleaded.

"I'll think it over. I'm not sure what song I would sing….." Warrick sighed, taking a swig from his beer. "I can't think of any of my songs that would be fitting for a wedding."

"I have faith in you. Besides, it's just gotta be a song about love. I'm sure you sing at least one of them for Gemma."

"Yeah, but that's private." Warrick shook his head. He didn't want to share those emotions with others. Nicky simply stared at him with his big puppy dog eyes until, with a resigned sigh, he nodded. "Okay, I'll do it."

"Thanks Warrick! You're a true friend." Nick was giving him his brightest smile. When the Texan smiled like that, it was hard to stay irritated at him. Warrick figured that was what the guy was banking on. Quietly Warrick moved to a corner where he could give the request some serious consideration. He nursed his beer and nervousness, wanting some privacy. Nick could see that he needed to be alone, and steered the others away from him.

"Now, the newly wedded couple will honor us with their first dance." Catherine announced in the microphone. "As a special gift to the couple, the Best Man will do the honors of performing a special song."

Warrick swallowed nervously as all eyes turned to him. He looked down at his best friend, standing with his new bride in the middle of the dance floor. He looked over to where Gemma stood, still holding Lucy's bouquet. His wife gave him a reassuring smile, lifting his spirits. Looking her in the eye, he adjusted the microphone and nodded to the band behind him. Smiling back at his wife as the first beats of the drum was joined by the guitar.

How can I dance without the tune that I grooved with you  
How can I move straight ahead when my soul is stuck like glue  
How can I smile when all I see is how things used to be  
How can I face my disgrace, I guess I had to set you free!

Will it be with a little time  
Can we weave back into our lives  
All the pictures of our smiles  
Don't know how long will I last without you  
Without you, without you, without you

How can I swim to shore if you're not waiting there (for me)  
How can I ask for more if your precious kiss will not give me air  
How can I grasp when you arms are too weak to share  
I can't float away cause you wear me down in my despair

Will it be with a little time  
Can we weave back into our lives  
All the pictures of our smiles

Warrick tore his gaze from his wife to look out onto the dance floor. Nick and Lucy were dancing slowly, deeply engrossed in one another as they swayed in time with the music. The words continued to flow out of his mouth, out of his soul. He saw that everyone was either dancing or swaying to the music as they let his lyrics flow over them. He brought his hungry gaze back to his wife, losing himself in her eyes as he continued the song.

How can I find you so free  
When you say you're done with me  
How can I stand in your room  
When your class is so full of gloom  
Why do I feel that all of that  
Is little sweet revenge  
Why do I stand at the door  
Waiting for you to walk in

Has it been with a little time  
That is tearing through our lives  
Did the pictures fade away  
Or think I could stay without you  
Without you, without you, without you……..

Warrick's throat clogged with emotion as his eyes closed in the final chords of the song. Opening them, he immediately looked down at his wife. She wasn't there. He looked frantically around. Sara was standing in her place, holding the bouquet. He looked to the dance floor; Nick and Lucy were engrossed in a lip-lock that was soon to set off the fire alarms.

Warrick felt her presence before she touched him, turning to face her as she reached for him. Gemma had found her way up to him. The music began to fade as he moved from the microphone to embrace his wife. Tears were streaming down her face as she captured his mouth in a hot, wild kiss. He crushed her to him as his tongue made love to her. The crowd applauded his performance but Warrick didn't hear them. His entire being was focused solely on his wife.

On the dance floor, the same overpowering feelings had overcome the bride and groom. Nick finally felt what he'd seen in Warrick. Overpowering emotions that threatened to floor him. He gripped Lucy roughly to him, wishing that they were the only ones around so he could make love to his wife. It struck him then, Lucy was his wife. She was his woman. His, just as he was hers. Warrick was right; he had discovered 'IT'.

As he continued to kiss her, oblivious to all but his bride, he began to tremble with this new knowledge. Knowledge that this was where he was meant to be. This was the secret behind Warrick's smiles. He released Lucy's mouth, pulling back so he could look into her eyes. Her amber eyes were full of tears, desire, and sparkled with the same uncontrollable joy that he felt. This was 'it'.

"I love you Lucy Stokes." He gasped hoarsely.

"I love you, my husband." Lucy whispered, leaning forward to resume the kissing.

"No, I mean it! I really do love you." Nick murmured against her lips. "More than I've ever thought I could love anyone. You are….."

"Ssh, Nicky." Lucy hushed him. "You don't have to explain. I feel it too. It's….."

"Magical?" Nick supplied, as she looked confused.

"Like….fate….like……"

"Like you're finally home?"

"Exactly." Lucy laid her head on his shoulder. "Can we get out of here?"

"Soon." Nick promised. Raising his head, he saw Warrick quietly slipping off the stage, his wife in tow. Nick grinned, finally understanding all that he had seen Warrick experience in the last few years. He knew it had hit Warrick sooner, before he and Gemma had married. Nick wondered why it had taken him so long to understand. However, he only wondered for a moment. He didn't care; he just knew that he was going to make sure it stayed with him.

Warrick had chosen the right song, not because of the lyrics, but because of the deep emotion he brought to it. Warrick's song had succeeded where nothing else had. Nick was grateful for his friend, so grateful that he wasn't going to mind that his friend had just cut out on his wedding reception to make love to his wife. He was a little jealous that Warrick could do this. Guests of Honors weren't as lucky.

TBC……

Warrick's song: "How" written, sang & performed by Gary Dourdan. Can be found at http/ LadyDi for helping with the lyrics!

(I hope I was able to portray the emotions in this chapter correctly.)


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Warrick carried Jessica out of the office building and into the bright sunlight. Gemma was there, handing him his sunglasses as he squinted at the brightness. Focusing, he frowned, thinking he was imagining the sight before him. Nick leaned against Gemma's minivan. Lucy stood beside him. "Nicky? What are you doing here? You're supposed to be on your honeymoon."

"You think we wouldn't be here? Our niece was just under the doctor's butcher knife. We couldn't be anywhere but at your side." Nick gave him his big, dopey Texas smile.

It was then that Warrick noticed that the surrounding area was filled with CSI's, lab techs, a handful of detectives and a couple of coroner's. Warrick looked around at the gathering of people, speechless over the show of support.

"Why is everyone here?" Warrick questioned, his voice raspy with emotion.

"Cuz we were kicked out of the doctor's waiting room." Greg piped up. "Something about a maximum number of people being exceeded…"

"Well, lets all go to the house." Gemma announced after hugging everyone she could reach. "We promised Jess some ice cream."

"Where's Grissom?" Warrick looked around, shocked that the man wasn't there with everyone else.

"He's at the airport, picking up Sean and his girls." Catherine answered softly, seeing the flash of hurt in Warrick's eyes. "Gil would be here, but Sean's plane was delayed. He wanted to be here."

Warrick nodded, relieved that Cath was the only one that had seen his momentary childishness. Cath was good at keeping secrets.

"I'm guessing you don't have enough ice cream for everyone. I'll stop off and get some." Hodges hugged Gemma before heading off to his car.

"Hey! Wait up Hodges! I'll go with you. You've got terrible taste. You'll give us all food poisoning!" Greg called, chasing after David.

"He better have his cell phone." Nick looked after the two men. "Ten to one, Hodges will kick his butt out halfway there."

"Come on. Let's get my girl home for her ice cream." Warrick shifted his little girl gently. She was lethargic from the sedatives they'd pumped into her. He'd sat in the room with her, holding her tiny hand as the doctor had snipped her. He wondered if she felt the pain as sharply as he had. He didn't like this. His normally energetic and talkative little girl was just slumped against his chest looking around at all the familiar faces.

Nick moved out of the way, opening the van door so Warrick could put her in her seat. Jessica looked over Warrick's shoulder, a smile in her eyes as she looked Nick in the eye. Nick gave her a wink before Warrick's head got in the way.

Warrick sat on the front steps drinking a beer with Sean. Everyone had slowly tapered away after Jessica had gone to bed. Now it was just Sean, his girls and Nick's girls. "You sure you want to stay at a motel? We can make room. The girls are having fun together."

"No, we need to keep our own space. My girls are slobs; I wouldn't like Gemma having to clean up after them. This way is better, we can take a breather from one another if need be, this way." Sean insisted, finishing off his beer.

"I've got tomorrow off. What would you like to do or see?" Warrick questioned. Reaching into the ice chest, he offered to get Sean another beer.

"I was thinking we could spend the day… going over the letters my father left behind. Maybe we can figure some things out." Sean shook his head, not wanting to have to deal with a hangover the next day. "I really like your friends. They are all very friendly and outgoing. Your boss is also your father-in-law?"

"Yeah, Gil is Gemma's dad." Warrick nodded as he finished the last of his beer. "He introduced us……but that's a long story."

"I got time." Sean laughed. "But, we can save that for another time. Tell me about your friends. Nick is your best friend?"

"Yeah, he was the best man at my wedding, and I was his…. Just two days ago." Warrick added. "He's a great guy….like a brother to me."

"And….Sara?"

"I've been working with her for quite a while. We started out hating each other, but…..we've become friends over the years. She's part of my family too. Like the annoying, know-it-all sister that's always trying to out-do you? She's a great CSI."

"She married?" Sean questioned off-handedly.

"Sara?" Warrick smirked. "No. Sara's married to the job. For a while I thought she'd actually have a life, but she's too busy being dedicated to the job."

"That's sad." Sean thought about the pretty brunette with the cute gap in her teeth. He'd known a lot of people with gaps, but none seemed to pull it off as Miss Sara Sidle did. "And what about Catherine? You have a good relationship with her?"

Warrick winced as he thought it over. With a little sigh, he tried to explain. "It's hard to place my relationship with Cath. I admit, I once thought we might have something between us. I was attracted to her. I didn't do anything with it, because she was my boss. Sometimes she's like a sister, and others, she's kinda mother-like."

"Is she married?"

"No, she was married to Lindsey's father for a while. They divorced. A few years ago, he died, so it's kind of like Cath is a widow." Warrick frowned, not wanting to go into the whole story of Eddie Willows.

Sean read his expression, seeing that there was something more to that story, but didn't push. "A woman that beautiful, she's most likely involved with someone, right?"

"No….Cath hasn't been able to find the right guy. She seems to go for guys who turn out to be scum." Warrick growled, clearly irritated with the fact. "Nick and I have been trying to find someone for her. No one seems to fit the bill."

"What exactly is the bill?"

"Someone who can love Lindsey as their own is first. Cath is all about her daughter." Warrick answered, rattling off the list he and Nick had composed. "Someone who respects Cath. Someone who can listen without judging or holding her past against her. Someone strong enough to put up with her temper but weak enough to let her feel powerful. Cath isn't one to play the weak woman card. She's a strong woman, but a woman nonetheless. He's got to be intelligent; Cath is really smart and doesn't suffer the fools."

"That's a mighty long list." Sean chuckled. "No wonder you're having trouble finding her someone."

"Cath is special. She's had a lot of bad relationships, she deserves someone special." Warrick gave a sad little smile. "We're not giving up on the idea."

"Good luck finding someone who fits your bill."

"Oh, he's gotta be good looking too," Warrick added with another smirk. "Cath's picky about looks."

Sean grinned, shaking his head in disbelief. Changing the subject seemed to be a good idea. "You and Nick are the only ones married then?"

"Yeah, this job makes it hard to have a normal life. We see so much crap, and work such crappy hours. There are times; I go days without seeing my family. A big case can take over our lives. I'm looking into switching to days so I can at least see my family on a good day." Warrick explained. "I told Gil that I want to apply for a day position so that I can be with my family. He says I'm a good candidate for the supervisors' position. Cath has been trying for that for years. I won't apply for it. I won't step on Cath's toes, she deserves the position."

"That would be good for you, to work days." Sean agreed.

"Gemma and I have discussed it. If they don't okay the switch to days, I might look elsewhere for a day position. I love working with these guys, but my family is living life without me." Warrick admitted sadly. He truly didn't want to leave his friends but he has a family man now, he had to make choices based on what was best for his family.

"Da!" Lonnie came clumping out of the house. "Are we staying here tonight? Can I get my suitcase?"

Sean glanced at his watch, seeing that it was growing late. "No, we're going to the motel. We'll be back tomorrow." Standing he stretched. "Warrick needs to get some rest; he can give us a ring when he's ready for us tomorrow."

"Are you sure about not wanting to stay here?" Warrick questioned again.

"We'll be fine at the motel, Little Brother." Sean gave him a reassuring grin. "I don't think we're ready for the togetherness part of family. That can come later."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

"Hello?" Gemma sat up groggily, as she grunted into the phone. Warrick had been called in, and seemed to be pulling yet another triple. The night shift had pulled a case of a murdered judge. There was lots of pressure for them to get the case solved so they were hustling to solve it. Despite that Warrick was supposed to have had the last couple of days off, she hadn't seen her husband in two days.

"Gemma, It's Lucy." Lucy's voice wasn't groggy at all.

"Luce? It's three-thirty in the morning! What's the deal? Kelly is fine; they went to sleep a little before n-"

Gemma felt her pulse race as she swung her feet over the side of the bed.

"Warrick is on his way home, Gem….It's been a hard night for them. The case is solved, but it turned out worse then they had expected. He's going to need you. Be ready for him." Lucy warned, causing a chill run up Gemma's back.

"And you know this…….how?" She asked, even though she knew the answer. Sometimes it was nerve wrecking to have a friend with connections to the other side.

"The same way I know everything else. " Lucy admitted calmly. "They all need a little TLC today."

"How soon?" Gemma was suddenly wide-awake.

"I'm not exactly sure. The dead don't wear watches Gemma." Lucy let out a nervous laugh. "Just….. Take care of him. He needs it."

Warrick let himself in quietly, reset the alarm and leaned against the door heavily. Today had been one of the worst days he could remember. Rubbing his hands over his face, he fought the intense desire to sob like a baby. In previous years, he would have joined the others at a bar, trying to drown the memories in alcohol. Today, his only objective was to get home to his wife.

"Warrick?" Gemma's voice drifted through the fog of misery that surrounded him. Opening his eyes, he saw the vague image of his wife through the gaps between his fingers.

"Gem?" Hands falling to his sides, he looked at his wife. Gemma stood before him, clad only in his old terrycloth bathrobe. Her pale, bare feet peeked out from under the long ratty robe. For no real reason, seeing her toes sticking out caused Warrick's mood to lighten a fraction.

Raising his gaze to meet hers, he saw the concern and understanding there. It was as if she understood. "Gem-ma."

"Ssh! Don't say anything." Gemma shushed him as a movement at her waist drew his attention. His eyes made it to her waist in time to see the robe part. He sucked in a deep breath as the robe pooled at her feet, revealing that his wife wore nothing underneath.

Warrick shuddered uncontrollably as she stepped forward. "Shh, just come here." She whispered, wrapping her arms around him.

Warrick pulled her tightly against him, taking pleasure in her feel and scent. Turning, he pinned her between himself and the door. Gemma wrapped her legs around his waist as he lifted her. "Gemma?"

"Yes Warrick. Do it."

"Oh God. I love you, baby." Warrick gasped, doing exactly that.

Lucy was sitting on the porch, waiting for Nick when he got home. He stopped in his tracks as he spotted her sitting on the steps in an oversized t-shirt. It was so amazing that she knew where and when he needed her. His beautiful wife was amazing. "You know?"

"Yes, I know." Lucy stood up, holding out her hand to him. Her shirt rode up her thigh, causing Nick to swallow roughly. He loved it when she wore a simple nightgown or shirt. She preferred to wear shortie pajamas, but he knew she was wearing the shirt for him. "Come on, I'll make you feel better."

"I don't know if I can feel better." Nick whispered hoarsely as he gave Lucy his hand. He allowed Lucy to lead him into the house. Uncontrollably, his eyes were draw to her partially covered buttocks as he followed her inside.

"Then I'll make you forget about it for a while." Lucy promised, dragging him straight into the bedroom. Bringing her mouth to his ear, she whispered seductively, "I got some new strawberry flavored oil and we haven't tried out the furry handcuffs."

"I think I might like that." Nick croaked as he allowed her to push him down onto the bed. He reached for her, only to have his hands smacked away. With a smile, he relaxed against the bed, perfectly happy about letting her be in control. When she stripped off the oversized shirt over her head, there were no more words needed to be said.

A second later, when she slid onto the bed beside him, no thoughts but that of her, entered his head.

True to her word, Lucy made him forget about anything but her. Nick was too busy feeling other sensations to realize she'd made him feel better.

Catherine stood staring at the door. She'd thought of coming here from the moment she'd left the lab. It was unthinkable of her to be here, but she couldn't stop herself. After a night like tonight, she needed someone.

Warrick had gone home to the comfort of his wife's arms. Nick had gone home to Lucy. Who the hell did Catherine have to go home to? She didn't want to go drinking herself silly by herself. She needed someone and she'd thought of him. She needed him, that was all there was to it. She didn't care what this meant; she only knew that she needed someone. That someone was him.

Telling herself that she was not a nervous woman, she raised her arm, but let it drop back down. Anxiety was not normal for her, and she fought back down the panic that was suddenly threatening her. With a deep breath that went all the way down to her soul, she cleaned away all the doubts she was harboring. Filled with determination, she lifted her arm and knocked.

She heard quiet movements inside. After a moment, he opened the door clad only in a t-shirt and underpants. He was too groggy for modesty. It was obvious that he'd been sleeping. Not surprising that he was, since it was just after four in the morning. "Catherine?" He questioned hazily.

"I had a bad night and was wondering if I could come in?" She questioned nervously. She could feel her palms sweating. It amazed her, approaching a man had never made her nervous before. There was something about the man that made her act strangely.

Without hesitation, he stepped back to let her in. He seemed to lose all lethargy instantly. "Of course! Come in Catherine."

"It's okay? I mean….you're alone?" Catherine craned her neck to look at the room behind him. The last thing she needed tonight was to barge in on him and someone else.

"Yes, all alone." He nodded, glancing behind him at the empty room behind him. "Come in Catherine."

"Before I do…I want to make it clear, why I'm here."  
Catherine hesitated.

"I think I understand why, but…go on?" He looked her in the eye.

"I need to forget everything I've just seen." Catherine felt the desire to explain. He knew exactly why she was here; Catherine could see it in him, simmering just below the surface. "I need to be with someone. I need to be held. I need to be fu-"

"Cherished." He cut in, obviously not liking the word she had been about to use. "You need to be cherished tonight. I can do that. I'm good at holding and cherishing." Reaching out for her hand, he pulled her inside with him. The door clicked shut behind her quietly.

Tbc….


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Lucy looked over to where Nick and Warrick were playing air hockey and watched them for a moment. "I see you took my advice. He looks happy…..and very relaxed."

"Yes. He was pretty fried when he came home." Gemma nodded, blushing as she realized what she was admitting too. Lucy turned her gaze landed on her, causing the blush to deepen. "I'm not going into the details….but… I fixed him."

"Believe me; I don't need to know the details." Lucy glanced back over at the guys as she took a drink of her soda. "I know enough already."

"What? What do you know?" Gemma recognized the look on her friend's face. Lucy knew something important. "Lucy, Tell me."

"Let's just say, I know the repercussions." Lucy shrugged, unsure of what she should divulge.

"Lucy, tell me." Gemma ordered insistently.

Lucy glanced back to the guys, making sure they were where they should be, leaning forward towards her friend. Gemma leaned forward too, eager to hear what Lucy had learned. "I really shouldn't tell you this…."

"Lucy!"

"Alright….It's just that….we created new lives last night. Our sons will share a birthday. They'll be the best of friends." Lucy admitted in a hushed whisper.

Gemma swallowed roughly, glancing over at the four-month-old baby that was peacefully sleeping in the stroller beside her. Her hand went to her stomach. "I'm pregnant?"

"We are." Lucy nodded. "Three lives were created last night in the CSI family. Three sons."

"Three?" Gemma gasped. "Which one of us is having twins?"

"Neither." Lucy looked up pointedly as Catherine Willows entered the pizza parlor.

"Cath?" Gemma whispered, watching the approaching woman. "Who?"

"A good man. He'll treat her right." Lucy declared sagely in a hushed tone. The conversation ended as they greeted Catherine. Lucy scooted over to make room for Catherine to slide into the booth beside her. Catherine smiled brightly at the two friends.

"Uh." Gemma coughed, shooting a conspiring look at Lucy. "Where's Lindsey?"

"Oh, she's coming with Sean and his girls. She spent the night with them." Catherine saw the probing looks the two women were aiming her way and decided to avoid looking either of them in the eye. "Remember? Lizzie stayed there too."

"Mommy!" Jessica ran up with Kelly right on her hears. "We hungy."

"Hun-Gree" Gemma automatically corrected her. "Let's go get you girls some salad while the pizza is cooking." Gemma eased out of the booth, scooping up two salad plates for the girls.

As the girls walked back to their table, Warrick came up behind his wife, taking the plates from her and placing a kiss on her cheek. Placing the plates in front of the girls, he pulled his wife into his arms for a kiss.

"This isn't mine, Uncle Rick." Kelly interrupted his kiss.

"Daddy!" Jessica complained.

Warrick released his wife, switched the plates and returned to what he had been doing.

"Hey, Bro! Save that for the privacy of the bedroom." Nick pecked him on the shoulder as Warrick was slightly carried away by his passions. "You're in public."

"Leave them alone Nick." Lucy cut in.

"I don't remember asking for your opinion." Nick snapped.

"Just shut up and leave them alone." Lucy rolled her eyes, sliding out of the booth. "They're married. They're passionate. There is nothing wrong with-"

"Lucy, Could you just butt out of my business just once." Nick snarled.

"Just because you are a stick in the mud and can't possible even hold my hand in public, doesn't mean that everyone has to be a prude too!" Lucy growled back.

"Hey now," Warrick released his wife and put his hands up in surrender. "We'll stop! No need to draw blood over a little kissing."

"Shut up Warrick!" Nick and Lucy snapped at him in unison.

"Oh….Kay." Warrick slowly maneuvered himself and his wife around the irate couple to the safety of the table. The bickering couple moved off to fight in private.

Catherine gave a helpless shrug. "I've never seen Nick argue so much."

"If they don't kill one another, they'll have a great life together. Warrick chuckled as he sat down and scooted over to make room for Gemma. "There are the girls." He nodded his head in the direction of the entrance as Sean came in with the girls. Lizzie and Lindsey were giggling with Sean's daughters as they made it to a booth across from the adults. Sean approached the table slowly and Warrick couldn't resist teasing him. "Looks like you survived the slumber party."

"Slumber? There was hardly any slumbering involved!" Sean grinned. "I'd call it a giggle party. It was after two when they finally quieted down."

"It's good to see Lizzie smiling." Gemma looked over to where the girls had gathered. "It's not something we see often."

"She's tough. She'll come out okay." Catherine stated as she moved over to make room for Sean who sat down, making faces at the Jessica and Kelly across the table.

"Guess you don't want to hear how early these girls went to sleep." Gemma smirked. She motioned to the couple across the way. "They're done fighting."

"Hey!" Warrick gasped. "I was less expressive then they are!" The group looked across the way to see the newlyweds deeply involved in making out.

"They're Newlyweds. They can get away with more." Catherine declared.

Sean glanced at the couple, and then turned his attention back to Lizzie as she followed the others to the salad bar. "So….what's wrong with Liz?"

"A lot of emotional baggage." Catherine answered, watching the girl.

"From what?"

"Aside from her mother trying to kill her….not a thing." Nick grumbled as he and Lucy rejoined the group. Glancing down at Suzie, he grinned and crooned at the baby. "Hey Peanut."

Suzie gurgled happily back at him. Nick could not resist scooping her up into his arms. Now that she was bigger, he didn't feel so nervous about holding her. "Ya know, she's got a Macy Gray thing going on here." Setting her in the crook of his arm, he patted her wild curls.

"She keeps pulling her bows out." Gemma held up her hand, displaying the bows wrapped around her pinky finger. Nick snagged the ties, then adjusting Suzie into his lap, he started to attempt to style the infants hair.

Everyone chuckled as they watched Nick struggle to put the ties in as Suzie suddenly became an octopus. She was yanking the ties out faster then he could get them in. Finally seeing that Nick was growing frustrated, Warrick leaned over and captured a chubby hand. Blowing raspberries into the palm to distract her.

Catherine shook her head in disbelief, seeing the two big tough CSI's brought down by a twenty-pound baby. She looked at their respective wives and gave them a wink. "A couple of pushovers!"

A few minutes later, the pizza arrived. Warrick reclaimed his baby daughter who was now sporting a pair of lopsided bows that had semi-captured her wild hair.

"Let's eat!" Nick declared.

"Where are the others?" Sean looked around, noticing that the crowd was smaller than normal.

"They're sleeping, getting ready to go to work. We pulled the night off." Warrick explained as he accepted a plate of pizza from Catherine. "One of the benefits of having a considerate father-in-law for a boss. He tries to get those of us with families a day off after a big case like what we had."

"Well, you did go in on your day off." Gemma added, picking the sausage off her pizza and placing it in Warrick's plate. "You were supposed to have the time off to spend with Sean."

"I've enjoyed visiting with you." Sean told her, reaching for the sprinkler of pepper. "The girls and I have had a lot of fun with you ladies."

"You know….."Nick frowned, looking around the table and then at the table the teens were seated. "We've really become outnumbered by the womenfolk."

"I've noticed that too." Warrick agreed. "We've got like, three to one here."

"Well, that's got to change." Nick stated, too busy devouring his pizza, he missed the look his wife exchanged with Gemma. The look clearly said, "If only they knew!"


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

"Where's Cath?" Nick looked around the locker room. "I thought she was done for the night too."

"She hasn't come in here since I've been in here." Warrick shrugged on his jacket. "Maybe she's in the bathroom? She has been looking a little green around the gills today. I think she might have the flu Jess brought home from school last week."

"Don't suppose either of you are interested in going out for some beers or something?" Greg asked as he entered the room.

"It's seven in the morning, Greggo!" Nick rolled his eyes. "A little early for getting drunk, isn't it?"

"Hey, it's five o'clock somewhere!" Greg pouted. Warrick shook his head at the cliché Greg had spouted. "And you've gone out with me before. Back when you were young and single. Now you're old fuddy-duddies."

"Sorry Greg, if you're asking me to choose between you and my wife….you lose." Nick chuckled.

"Warrick?" Greg looked pitifully at the taller man.

"Sorry, G." Warrick shook his head. "I've got big plans tonight."

"Plans?" Greg looked at him with interest. "Can I join you?"

"Hell No!" Warrick roared, laughing. "My plans are to stop and buy my girl some flowers. Take my daughter to school, go home and get my wife naked. That's definitely not something I want you involved with!"

"Is there a special occasion, or are ya just horny?" Nick teased, seeing the Greg was too embarrassed to fulfill the duty.

"It's an anniversary of sorts." Warrick grinned dirtily. "Plus, I got a voicemail from Gemma that she has a surprise for me."

"Warrick, I hate to break it to you, but women never call to tell you they want to have sex with you." Nick deadpanned. "For a woman, a surprise is that the kitchen sink is stopped up or that they bought a new comforter for the bed."

"Maybe your woman, but not mine." Warrick smirked haughtily. "My woman loves having sex with me. We happen to have a very active and creative sex life."

"Warrick Brown!" The screech spun all three men around towards the door, hands going to their guns. A very red-faced Gil Grissom stood there, glaring at Warrick. Warrick suddenly wished one of the guys would accidentally shoot him.

"Uh-oh." Nick grunted as Warrick looked apprehensively at his boss.

"Hi,….Gil." Warrick tried to act casual but no one bought the innocent act.

"Warrick, I've asked you before to refrain from discussing my daughter in that way around me." Gil scowled at his son-in-law with anger and disgust.

"With all due respect," Unfortunately, Greg chose this moment to find his tongue. "You weren't around when we started the conversation and we didn't expect you to come in."

"Shut up Sanders." Gil didn't look at the young man; he continued to glare at Warrick. "For the last time Warrick, if you insist on talking of this, please do not do it in this building."

"Yeah Boss." Warrick nodded, shamefaced. "Sorry about that."

"Besides, she's called me three times. She threatened me bodily harm if I keep you late today. She wants you home." Gil added before spinning on his heel and disappearing as quickly as he'd come.

Warrick hurried in the house, to find that it was empty of all the normal morning noises. He'd seen Gemma's van in the driveway, so he knew she was there somewhere. Taking two steps at a time, Warrick ran up the stairs. Jessica's room was empty. The nursery was empty. Feeling the fear and worry rush through him, he sped into their bedroom. Gemma was sitting on the bed, obviously waiting for him.

"Roses, Warrick?" She questioned as he thrust the bouquet towards her in an unromantic way. "Airmail?"

"I'm sorry; I'm doing this all wrong." Warrick was immediately contrite. "I had this all planned out differently."

"Had what? I thought this was all my planning." Gemma smelled the roses. "I thought that I called you."

"I had this planned already." Warrick admitted with a blush. "I was going to romance you into bed after taking Jess to school. By the way, where is she?"

"Lucy is taking her to school and watching Suzie for a few hours. I'm picking up the girls after school and keeping them for her this afternoon." Gemma gave him a smile that told him she had a secret.

"What are you to up to?" Suspicion flowed through his veins. Narrowing his eyes, he studied his wife. "What's the deal, Gemma?"

"I told you, I have a surprise for you." Gemma gave him her best enigmatic smile. "The better question is what you are up to. Why the flowers and plans for romance?"

"It's our anniversary. I just wanted to celebrate it with you babe." Warrick grinned devilishly, waggling his eyebrows at her.

"Warrick, our anniversary isn't for another three months!" Gemma pouted. "Don't tell me you've forgotten our anniversary date already!"

"Not that anniversary. It's a different anniversary." Warrick chided softly. "I do believe it's you who've forgotten."

"What anniversary?"

The devilish smile took up his entire face. "Gemma, Think back upon a little rundown shack in the middle of a grove of trees. The chill in the air on one of the last days before the Oklahoma winter came in with a vengeance." Warrick's voice grew husky as it lowered to a near whisper. Gemma's face grew warm with a flush as she realized what he was referring to.

"Warrick!" she protested in embarrassment. You want to celebrate the first time we-"

"Made love. Yes. I remember it all very clearly. I remember he coldness of the November frost in the air that we soon melted away. I remember the way you tasted. I remember the way you smelled. I remember how you shivered, and how I didn't know if it was from the coolness of the air or the way I was touching you. I remember the little sounds you made when I removed your clothes."

"Warrick!"

"I remember the way your skin felt as I touched it for the first time. Soft and smooth." He sad against the softness of her neck. "The way you tasted…."

"Warrick…."

"And how you wrapped your legs around my hips so tightly."

"Damn it, Warrick-"

"And how, when you cried out my name, it was like a symphony to my soul. Being there with you…..was like finally coming home."

"Please, Warrick, stop, don't say anymore." Gemma was openly crying now. Warrick pulled her into his arms, showering kisses over her face before finally feasting on her lips.

When he finally came up for air, his eyes were twinkling like a mischievous sprite. "So, where's my surprise?"

"I don't know if I want to share right now. You're awfully full of yourself as it is." Gemma shook her passion-flushed face, leaning in to nibble on his collarbone.

"Hey, I was promised a surprise and I demand to see it." Warrick shivered as her lips played havoc on his senses. "Come on, Baby. Play fair."

"I always play fair." Gemma pulled away, eliciting a whimper of protest from her husband. Reaching into the draw of her beside table, she handed him a small rectangular box with a sad, half-smashed bow on it. Warrick gave her a quizzical look as he accepted the odd-looking gift. Pulling the lid off, he peered inside.

"What the hell…?" Warrick struggled for breath as what he was looking at sunk into his brain. A pregnancy test that displayed the positive sign.

"Well, you did promise me a son." Gemma retorted impishly. "I guess I cashed in a little early."

"You're serious?" Warrick realized he was trembling as he put the box aside and gathered his wife into his embrace. "We're pregnant?"

"Yeah." Gemma stared into the sparkling green orbs, trying to gauge his reaction. "This okay with you?"

Swallowing violently, Warrick nodded. "Hell yeah. We did a pretty good job with the last one."

"Yeah, we did." Gemma agreed, moving back to nibble on his earlobe until she had wrung a moan of pleasure from her man. Blowing gently on the damp flesh she teased, "Wanna practice for the next one?"

"Hell yeah!"


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

"Warrick." Gemma called out to him in her no-nonsense voice as she came into the room. When she used that tone, it made him give pause, mentally deciding if he'd done or not done something.

"Yeah Babe?" Putting his newspaper down, he turned his full attention to his beautiful wife. His breath caught in his throat. Although she was only three months pregnant, she had that natural glow about her. He couldn't seem to be able to look at her enough, and when he did, it brought about a bittersweet pain.

Gemma looked into the playpen where Suzie lay, gnawing on a set of plastic keys. With a sweet smile, she came over, sliding into her husband's lap.

"I always like when a conversation starts like this." Warrick teased as he placed a kiss on her neck, nuzzling just below the ear.

"I've been thinking about what you said before. About us needing to have a will, for the kids' sake." Gemma confessed. "I'd like to discuss who we would leave them to."

"I kind of assumed it would be Nick and Lucy." Warrick pulled away from her neck, looking at her with a puzzled look on his face. "Don't you think so?"

"Initially I thought so." Gemma professed. "But, I've been thinking about it a lot lately. They already have the girls and a baby on the way. We have our girls and a baby on the way. That's six kids with the possibility of more. How much attention would they be able to give the children? Not just ours, but theirs too. I know Nick and Lucy would treat them as their own, but…..it wouldn't be fair to any of them."

"Who would you suggest then? Gil?" Warrick pondered as he conceded to her point.

Gemma laughed loudly, "Not on your life!"

"Really?"

"I love the man dearly, but I wouldn't do that to our children. Gil Grissom is not father material. He's about as good as he can be as a wishy-washy grandfather." Gemma lay her head down on Warrick's strong shoulder. "He would take them, without a bat of the eye, but he'd be miserable and so would they."

"Cath?"

"No. She's going to be busy with her own life soon."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Warrick craned his neck so he could look at Gemma. The expression on her face made it clear, that topic was not going to be clarified anytime soon.

"I don't know enough to share. I just know…..she won't be available soon." Gemma admitted with a small sigh.

"A man?" Warrick was interested. He and Nick hadn't been able to come up with anyone they deemed worthy of their ex-boss. He wondered if Catherine had on her own.

"Yeah."

"Who?"

"I honestly don't know." Gemma told him with another sigh.

"Lucy?"

"Yeah, but don't bother interrogating her, she doesn't know who the guy is. All she knows is that he's the one that Catherine has been searching for all her life. He's the one she belongs with."

"I guess that's good to know." Warrick grew quiet as he considered this new information. "Well, hell….. Who do you suggest to leave the kids with?"

"Sara."

"Sara?" Warrick repeated with a jolt. "You want to give our kids to Sara?"

"Yes. She's a good person. She's a good role model. She loves the girls." Gemma pointed out. "Think about how devoted she is to her job. She'd be just as devoted to our children. She would be a good mother, Warrick."

"Can I think this over?" Warrick didn't want to answer just yet. He'd never considered Sara as mother material.

"Can you think of someone else?" Gemma ran a finger along the rim of his ear, knowing that it would make him shiver. He turned his heated gaze on her, his tongue darting out to wet his suddenly parched lips. "What about Sean?"

"Would we want them raised in England? They would have already lost us, only to be taken away from Grams and Gil….and the rest of our family." Warrick frowned, shaking his head.

"He's your brother. Wouldn't you want them raised by family?"

"Blood doesn't make him any more family than those without the blood ties." Warrick muttered. Gemma lay her head back down on his chest, sliding her hand into the gaping opening of his shirt. "Hey now! Behave. We've got a houseful of girls; don't start what we can't finish."

Warrick watched Sara with new eyes. He watched her at work. He watched her with his daughters. He watched her interact with their oddball co-workers. He even had the opportunity to watch her interact with a young boy, a victim of one of their cases. He realized Gemma was right. Sara was the perfect choice to appoint as guardian to their children.

As soon as he admitted this to Gemma, she decided to inform Sara of their decision and get her permission. Gemma invited Sara over for an early dinner one evening before work.

"So, what's the deal?" Sara eyed the couple suspiciously, as they finished the meal. All throughout the meal, Warrick avoided looking at her while Gemma made inane small talk. It was obvious that they were uncomfortable and Gemma was trying to cover the uneasiness. "Did my dog die or something?"

"No. We just have something we would like to discuss with you." Warrick confessed, suddenly interested in the remains of his meal. "We're sort of nervous about it."

"What could make you to nervous to talk to me?" Sara scowled. "Come on Brown! Spit it out!" She demanded, looking directly at Warrick. His response was to flush. His mouth opened and closed, like a fish gasping for air. No words came out. "Geez! Gemma?"

"We've been discussing having our Will drawn up." Gemma whispered. "And we'd like to put you as the legal guardian of the kids."

"Me?" Sara turned white with shock. Her hand was visibly shaking as she put her mug of coffee down.

"Yeah. You." Warrick lifted his head, granting her with his cutest, little-boy smile. "We wanted to get your o.k. before we went through with it."

"I-I….don't….know……what……to…..say." Sara sputtered, for once in her life, she was utterly speechless.

"Well…..You either say 'Hell No! I don't want your rotten brats.' Or maybe…..'NO, I'm not interested to ever be a mother.' Or…."No, I really don't want to have the responsibility of taking care of your kids.' Or you could say…..'Yes, I'd love to take your kids. I think I could do a better job than you anyway.'" Warrick offered in a singsong voice.

"Warrick!" Gemma gasped. She knew he was just teasing Sara, but she was still shocked. Sara choked on her coffee as she began to laugh.

Patting Sara on the back, Gemma added softly, "You don't have to give us an immediate answer. Sleep on it. Think it over, before you give us an answer. Don't feel pressured to say yes. If you decline, we'll ask Nick and Lucy."

"You mean…." Sara wheezed. "You're asking me first? Why wouldn't you ask them first?" The idea that they wanted her to be the guardian of their kids was something she couldn't quite grasp.

"We discussed all our options." Warrick explained. "We decided that you were the best of the best."

"Why me?" Sara's voice was trembling. "What about Catherine? Or Gil? What about Brass? Surely anyone would be a better choice than me!" Sara was struggling with the astonishment of being told she was their first choice.

"We had to consider who would be best for the children. We want our girls to grow up to be strong women, that's you. We want someone who can love them for who they are, we see that in you." Gemma rationalized with a shrug.

"Sara…." Warrick drew her full attention before he continued. "We wanted to pick the best person for the job. I did my homework. We both agree you are that person."

"But, how? Why?"

"I wanted someone who could be a real mother to my children." Gemma spoke softly, her words coming from her heart.

"But, I don't know the first thing about being a mother!" Sara bemoaned.

"You're a natural. "Gemma insisted.

"Sara." Warrick cut in sternly. "We've seen you with the girls. You're already so devoted to them; you'd do anything for them. That all we need to know."

"I'm honored." Sara smiled her famous 'gap-toothed Sara smile'. "I'm shocked and scared, but…..very honored."

"So…..you'll think it over?" Warrick offered again.

"No." Sara answered. "I can give you my answer right now. I'll do it." She blushed, becomingly. "Just as long as you guys promise to never actually expect me to be needed."

"You're saying yes?" Warrick repeated, suddenly releasing a pent-up breath that he hadn't realized he was holding.

"Yes. As for me doing a better job…..I could never do a better job than Gemma. But you Warrick, that's a different story."

"Yeah, picture that." Warrick grinned.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

"Gris?" Warrick came into the office holding a paper Judy had just given him as he entered the CSI headquarters. "You wanted to see me Boss?"

"Yes, Come on in and shut the door, Warrick." Grissom took off his glasses and set them on the desk as he watched his son-in-law do as he bid.

"What's up Gris? It can't be good if you're doing this by the book." Warrick waved the offending paper in the air as he eyed Gil suspiciously. "Is this about my request to transfer or have I screwed something up once again?"

"You've done nothing wrong, Warrick." Gil hurried to assure him. "Sit down."

"I think I'd rather stand." Warrick shook his head, his stance indicating that he was expecting some bad news.

"Warrick! Sit your butt down!" Gil barked in such a firm voice that the big man sat down. "Thank you."

"Gil? What is going on?"

"I asked to be the one that did this." Gil began opening the file he'd just been reading.

"Did what? Fire me? Geez-zuz, Gris, all I did was ask to work days!" Warrick interrupted. "Did that cause them to look into my file? They decided that I screwed up too much. That I've taken too much time off. I've pulled too much sick leave…."

"Warrick, Shut up!" Gil finally snapped, unwilling to continue to argue with the hardheaded man. Tossing over the clipboard across the desk, he suggested. "Read it over before you sign. You've got the day shift."

"I do?" Warrick picked up the clipboard. He quickly scanned over the contract. "Gil? This is for the Supervisors position. I didn't apply for that. I told you, I wouldn't go for the position, the job belongs to Catherine."

"I know. It's very admirable of you. The job was offered to Catherine first. She turned it down, and then she suggested you."

"Turned it down?" Warrick repeated dumbly. "Cath? Why?"

"It's not my place to tell you here reasoning." Gil answered reluctantly. "After she turned it down, she promptly gave me her two weeks notice. She's quitting. Next Friday will be her last day….I mean, night as a CSI." Gil didn't like to be the one to make the announcement. This group was too much like a family. Losing one of their own was going to hit them hard.

"I don't understand this."

"All you have to understand is that Catherine won't be taking the job. She doesn't want it. You won't be stepping on her toes, should you chose to accept this. I'm offering this to you."

"Is Ecklie on board with this?" Warrick prodded with a disbelieving frown. "He really has never liked or approved of me."

"Yes, he's agreed to this."

"Even with my record? I've screwed up more times-"

"Warrick. This isn't a trick nor is it a mistake." Gil reiterated. "You made mistakes when you were younger, but you've paid for them. You've grown up. You've shown that you're ready."

Warrick tried to swallow back the huge lump growing in his throat. He really didn't think this day would ever happen.

"Warrick? Are you accepting the position?" Gil probed.

"Yeah Gil." Nodding Warrick picked up the pen, signing the contract. His eyes were blurry with emotion; his chest filled with pride.

"Good." Gil nodded, satisfied as he took the clipboard back "Now, I know you're aware that I gave Catherine an office warming gift of a fetal pig….. I didn't want you to feel left out, so I got you a gift too."

Warrick winced, his eyes going to the disgusting jars lining the shelves of the office. "And, what am I getting?"

"Well….I'm sorry, I don't have another pig for you." Gil smirked as the look of relief passed Warrick's face. "So, I'm giving you Nicky."

"What?" Warrick gasped.

"Nicky. I'm giving you Nicky. I'm transferring him to days to work under you." Gil clarified.

"Did he ask for that?"

"No…but as you said before, he's a family man too. I'm sure he'd rather work days and get to spend his time with his children." Gil looked at Warrick, unsure of Warrick's reticence. He would have thought that Warrick would be ecstatic over getting to work with his best friend.

"Have you run this by him?" Warrick studied the older man's face, seeing his answer in the look of guilt in Gil's face. "Gil….maybe you should run this by him first, before you make this official." Warrick's face darkened with worry. "He may not feel comfortable working for me."

"Rick, he's your best friend. Of course he would love to work with you."

"That's the thing Boss. He won't be working with me. He'll be working for me." Warrick elucidated, sounding heartbreakingly frightened. "I don't want to lose my best friend over this."

"You think….he'll have a problem taking orders from you?" Gil questioned, having never considered that possibility.

"He might. We've been equals for so long. We've been competing for a leg up all these years. With me jumping ahead like that…..I mean, he'll be happy for me because he's my friend…."

"Are you speaking from your own experience? Would you have a problem working for Nick?" Gil quirked an eyebrow up at him, studying Warrick as if he were a new science experiment.

"Maybe." Warrick admitted. "I'm the hard ass of the team…..Of course I'd have a problem….as would Sara." Warrick finally answered.

"And you think Nick might too?"

"Not as likely as Sara or myself, but yeah. It's a possibility. Nick's ambitious. He always has been. He's more ambitious than I am." Warrick grimaced again. "Nick's my best friend. I don't want anything to come between us. Please, discuss it with him before you make it official."

"I'll talk to Nick before I transfer him." Gil agreed, realizing this was just another instance of him not really knowing how people tick. He wondered why he hadn't thought of the possibility of Nick being against this. Nick WAS the ambitious one.

"Talk to him before the word gets out about my promotion." Warrick pleaded.

"Okay. If you see him, send him in here."

"Thanks Boss." Warrick gave him a genuine smile, obviously relieved. "For everything."

"Warrick. This makes it official." Gil pointed to the contract. "I'm not your boss anymore."

"No, you'll always be my boss."

"Hey Boss!" Nick grinned devilishly at Warrick as he joined him at the diner.

"So……you heard." Warrick slid into the booth, eyeing his friend nervously. He tried to determine the other man's reaction. "You okay with this?"

"Jealous as Heck, but…yeah. I'm okay with it, more than okay! I'm proud of you, Bro!" Nick motioned the waitress over. "Just think, next time we go out to celebrate something, we can actually drink without getting funny looks. A regular, Nine-to-five job!"

"Nicky, you think working days will make it a regular job?" Warrick guffawed. "We're still going to be working doubles and triples all of the time. It's just that the work will start at an earlier hour." Warrick grew serious. "You'll be able to work…..for me, Nicky?"

"Yeah. Of course, I can. I'm proud of you. You deserve this." Nick gave his best friend a big smile.

"So do you."

"Yeah, maybe….but you're the better man for the job." Nick shrugged. "You gotta have brass balls to be the boss. I'm a pushover."

"Nicky-" Warrick tried to halt him, but Nick wouldn't let him.

"Be quiet, Rick. I'm spilling my guts here. I am a push over. I'm not good boss material. I've seen you stand up for yourself and for us. You're not afraid to get in someone's face."

"You'll be okay with taking orders from me? You know, yours will be one of the faces I get in."

"Yeah, but I'm not afraid of getting back in your face." Nick grinned. "And, I figure, you'll be giving me the best cases."

"Yeah, Picture that!" Warrick snickered. He was relieved that Nick felt they could work with one another even after a change in his status. Things were definitely looking up.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Catherine let out a pent up breath as she watched the guys file in. Greg gave her his sweet smile. Nick followed him in, flashing a friendly grin at her. It was Warrick that she was worried about. He was frowning so seriously, she knew it was only a matter of time before he blew. This was not going to be easy.

"Hi guys!" She greeted cheerfully.

Nick was the first to respond. "Cath! It's so good to see you!" He came forward, swiftly and gently pulling her to her feet before enveloping her into a gentle bear hug. When he finally released her, Greg was there to give her a warm kiss on the cheek. Warrick remained aloof, looking stern and menacing.

"Warrick? Are you going to say hi to me?" Never one to back down from an angry Warrick, she didn't let him stop her this time either. "Or did you come to glare at me and give me the silent treatment?"

With a put-upon sigh, Warrick pulled her into his arms. Pulling out of the hug, he placed a hand on her protruding stomach. "I just don't like this."

"What? Gemma's pregnant. So is Lucy. Why is it bad that I am too?" Catherine wasn't going to let him condemn her.

"Lucy and Gemma are married. You quit CSI and disappeared from our lives! I've been worried about you! Who is this guy? Why isn't he here to take responsibility?"

"That's why I asked you guys here." Catherine divulged.

"What? You want us to play the affronted brothers. We can go make the guy stand right by you." Nick offered heroically.

Catherine knew that they would, if only she were to say the word. "No. He's already doing that."

"Yeah?" Greg quirked an eyebrow at her, suddenly reminding her of Grissom. "Since when?"

"Look, I didn't tell him until last month. I was…conflicted on whether I wanted to try this on my own or not. "Catherine exhaled heavily. "IT took me a while, but I realized that I didn't want to be alone in this. Therefore, I called him up….explained the situation to him. He wants to marry me."

"Who is he?" Warrick demanded.

"Do we know this guy?" Greg was now emulating Warrick. It wasn't a good look on him, Catherine decided.

"Can we just accept that I'm happy?" Catherine pleaded. "I didn't realize it at the time, but….I am in love with him."

"When and where did all this come about?" Warrick hissed. He didn't trust that Catherine's luck with men had changed. He wanted to check the guy out before it was too late.

Blushing, Catherine stepped away from Warrick. "I needed someone. I went to him. I instigated it all. Warrick, you can't blame him. I don't want you to be mad at him."

"According to Lucy, It was the same night she and Gemma got pregnant." Nick cut in. "We all needed comfort that night, Rick."

"You're trying to divert the blame off of this guy. Obviously, it's someone we know." Warrick concluded, his green gaze boring wholes in Catherine, as if he could find the information he wanted.

"Hey! Give the boy a prize!" Catherine shot the barb at him. "He's not Day-Shift Supervisor for nothing."

"Who is he, Cath?" Warrick ignored the sarcastic comment. "Why isn't he here with you?"

"He's on his way." Catherine smiled. "I asked him for a few moments alone with you first." She looked at the three men before him. "I'm getting married today. We're leaving tomorrow. I won't be coming back."

"What about Linds?" Nick questioned, shock in his chocolate eyes.

"She's happy about it. She's looking forward to the move. She's excited about having a real family for once in her life. She loves him. He's a good man, a good father."

"Are you sure about this Cath?" Warrick asked softly, worry causing his face to grow dark. "You don't have to do this. We'll help you. We will take care of you."

"I love him, Warrick. I wanted to just fly there and be with him. It was his decision to come here. He wanted us to marry with you guys there to witness it." Catherine's attention went to the door of the Café as it opened. She smiled, her face flushing like Warrick had never seen it. "There he is."

Warrick turned around to take his first look at the man that was making Catherine blush like a schoolgirl. Amazement staggered him, and he had to reach out to steady himself. "You?"

"Congratulations!" Gemma was sobbing as she kissed the new bride.

"Thank you." Catherine turned to look over at her new husband. "I really do feel lucky."

"He's the lucky one Catherine." Lucy insisted, coming up.

"Hey, ya know, this is kinda creepy." Greg barged into the conversation.

"What is?" Gemma turned to the man and he grinned at the site. Three identical stomachs lined up.

"You guys….all getting knocked up at the same time….on the same night. It's like…Invasion of the Body Snatchers!"

"Wrong movie Greggo!" Nick chided, coming up to plant a kiss on his wife's cheek before giving Catherine a hug. "Over there, is the scene from Invasion of the Body Snatchers!"

Everyone's gaze came to rest upon the lone man across the room. Sara and Grissom stood near him, but neither had attempted to speak with him. Instead, they were having a quiet conversation, watching Warrick closely. They looked ready, as if prepared to grab him, should he get out of hand. Warrick was not in a friendly mood.

"Yeah, he might as well wear a 'No Trespassing' sign." Greg agreed, watching as Warrick finished his beer and tossed it angrily in the trash.

"I'll go talk to him." Gemma offered as Gil blocked Warrick's attempt to acquire another beer. An angry Warrick was one thing; an angry drunken Warrick was something entirely different. Sara said something to Warrick, seeming to calm him as he tried to move around Grissom.

"No." Catherine placed a hand on her arm, stopping the younger woman. "Let my husband do that." The group watched as the man in question approached Warrick cautiously. Sara and Gil stepped back, letting the newcomer have a private moment with him.

"Is he going to be okay with all this?" Nick questioned Gemma. "Should I go over in case I need to break up a fight?"

"He'll be fine. He's just been worried about Catherine. It's mostly just shock. Warrick knows he's a good man. Once the shock wears off, he'll wonder why he didn't set them up. He'll more than accept this."

"He looks really mad." Greg commented, watching as Warrick snarled at the groom. The other man didn't back down an inch. They had all been on the wrong side of Warrick's temper and were impressed at the man's tenacity.

"He's probably warning him not to ever hurt Catherine." Lucy suggested.

"Warning him what would happen if he did." Nick agreed.

"Then, knowing my husband, he'll warn him to be wary of Catherine's temper." Gemma chuckled. She could see the tension leaving Warrick. She knew that he was beginning to accept the situation. "Let's go enjoy ourselves. They'll be fine."

"You love her, right?" Warrick questioned softly. "You'll treat her right?"

"I never thought I could love someone like I love her." The groom admitted looking at Warrick with sincerity. Warrick could see the earnestness in the man's eyes.

"I don't like that you're taking her so far away from here." Warrick warned him. "It doesn't mean I won't come after you if you so much as make her cry."

"I wouldn't. I know you would if I were to."

"You'll take care of her, Lindsey and this baby?" Warrick questioned. "She's a tough one; she'll fight you on it."

"I know that. She's not one to be coddled, but at the same time, she's as fragile as the next woman." He grinned, glancing over to his new bride, who was surrounded by her family, watching them. "Just like, if you were to lay a hand on me right now, she'd be the first one over here."

Warrick threw his head back and laughed. "I hear ya."

"Are we okay? I don't want this to come between us." A large callused hand was offered to Warrick.

"Of course!" Warrick swallowed roughly, taking the proffered hand. Giving it a hard yank, he pulled the man into his embrace. "I've spent my entire life wishing for a brother. Now I've got one, you aren't gonna get out of it so easily. Marrying the woman I consider my sister isn't going to cause me to deny that you're my brother."

Sean grinned, relieved. "You accept that I'm your brother now, eh?"

Warrick gave him an identical grin. "That you are…..Brother Mine."

The End.


End file.
